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I Got A Perpetual Flower....(and commentary on books)
I told Wales I was depressed on Saturday and not up to brunch. So, Wales decided to send me something to cheer me up. It arrived today.
In came in a white box which stated "Forever Love". And inside was...
A perpetual flower. If you can't see the photos? My apologies. It's basically the flower from Beauty and the Beast - or that's what it reminds me of at any rate, complete with glass case (although I think it's plastic and it doesn't come off of the flower, it's sealed in there. And it may light up - although not sure why it needs too? Kind of sparkly on its own.)
Funky, right. It's a forever rose under glass, and when the light hits it? It sparkles. Also apparently you can put batteries in it, and it lights up or something? I don't know - didn't come with instructions or anything, just a blank card that said Best Wishes.
I put it in my window. It is cheery.
***
Thought about describing my commute - but I don't want to remember it. After debarking the train at Atlantic Avenue Terminal, I climbed a staircase that smelled of urine, with an empty cup at the top, and liquid trickling down it. This city really needs to address its homeless problem.
Mother asked if the Venzeulan Immigrants being shipped here made it worse? I doubt it. The homeless that I see aren't Venzeulan. Black African-American and White, mainly. They were born here - not immigrated. Most are addicts or mentally ill. It's painful to see them each day, huddled in blankets, with their grocery carts, and raggedly layers of clothing on the floor of the air train building. The Port Authority of NY and New Jersey has now put up police metal grate barriers along the lobby, and barricading the area alongside the back end of the Air Train building - near the entrance to my workplace. I basically walk through a barricade maze to get to and from work. It's gotten worse since the pandemic - and is partly due to all the development in the area, and drug usage. Not to mention lack of good jobs, decent pay, and affordable housing, health care, and mental health options.
***
Books
* Starter Villain by John Scalzi as read by Will Wheaton It's about a divorced down-on-his-luck substitute teacher (Charlie) living in his parents house with two cats, that inherits his uncle's business. One problem? His uncle is a villain. Oh, and that's not all? His uncle dabbled in various types of highly illegal genetic research - so apparently he has highly intelligent cats running his intelligence and spying on his nephew. The cats living with Charlie - have been collecting intelligence on him for his nephew. And, he employs genetically enhanced dolphins to main security and also collect intelligence. But the dolphins are about to go on strike in protest of bad working conditions.
It's amusing, to say the least.
Scalzi seems to write tongue-in-cheek satiric sci-fi, or at least that's what I've read or listened to - to date. Red Shirts and The Kaiju Preservation Society. I've not tried Old Man's War.
I like his writing style, and Andy Weir's. They kind of are similar, except Weir is more hard science fiction and Scalzi is more playful.
* Yellowface by R. F. Kuang - well, it does an excellent take down of the cancel culture on Twitter in regards to the publishing industry, I'll give it that. The publishing industry (in case you were unaware) is highly dependent on social media platforms like Twitter and Bluesky and Instagram to market its wares. Mainly Twitter and Bluesky. And like all marketing platforms - it's designed to make the most negative marketing go viral. In marketing - negative messages are just as likely to sell as positive, sometimes more so. There's the curiosity factor? People will often grab a book, see a film, or television show that has garnered negative reviews or low ratings or better yet? Is highly controversial. They want to see it for themselves. Also, a negative message often goes viral - again curiosity factor - and brings in more hits and views to the site. Social media platforms love kerfuffles. Particularly platforms like Twitter.
Dreamwidth and the old VOY platforms weren't really designed for the kerfuffle. But Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook are.
And people kind of like them? Curiosity factor. Or the rubber-necking of folks on the highway to see the accident, slowing down traffic as a result.
RF Kuang satirizes this a bit too well in Yellowface. Where Juniper Song Hayward - starts getting blasted for passing off a dead Asian woman's manuscript off as her own. (Which she kind of did? She revised it, and finished it without the woman's permission (the woman died) or the woman's family's permission. And without giving the dead woman any credit for it, or the woman's family a percentage of the proceeds. So, yes, evil. But no one has proof of it, just suspicions.) Anyhow, someone goes on Twitter with a made up name and starts making accusations, the accusations go viral.
Etc.
What's odd about the whole thing - is how the book is written? It's written in such a way that you get angry at the people on twitter attempting to cancel Song. It also talks about how Toxic Twitter is - but how dependent authors and the publishing industry has become on it. It's a toxic co-dependent relationship.
All of which is actually true to some extent. I know - I've seen it. It makes me never want to put anything I write out there. Or ever sell a book.
God, people suck. The vitriol that people launch at each other on social media is horrific. If I didn't know people could be complete and utter unself-aware, self-righteous assholes - I do now, thank you internet.
Anyhow, this is not a good book to read before bed. Instead of putting me to sleep? It had me raging and yelling at it. I was ranting at the book.
Not conducive to sleep at all.
* Magic Tides by the husband & wife writing team Illona Andrews - the magic series basically ruined me in regards to all urban fantasy.
I like a specific writing style - which is heavy dialogue, banter, and snark. Also causal or conversational writing style. Formal writing style or classical will annoy me in this genre. It's why I can't read the Toby fairy series - the dialogue is too formal, they all sound like they are in Elizabethan England, and just no.
Writing style is an important factor in choosing a book. I honestly think it alone can make or break certain books for me, and I'm guessing others?
Some writing styles are easier for me to read than others - because of how my eyes skip over things and have to skip back again. This one I find easy to read - I can hear the words in my head. It's like watching a movie. Doesn't require much work at all - and makes me laugh.
Now, weirdly enough this is not true of all of their books. I only seem to like the Kate Daniels series. I've tried others and can't get into them. Haven't tried the Innkeeper series - so may be wrong on that score.
They do have a few ticks? Or quirks that could annoy people? Such as: Kate says "Aha" a lot. And that is in other books or series too. Another overused phrase is "Why me?" Which gets whiny after a bit, and makes the reader think - "why not you?" I think of those as writer bugs - the writer thinks that way and is not aware of them, and the editor hasn't done a good job of kicking them to the side, or has decided that they fit the writer. Not sure which. I honestly think the editors nowadays do little more than acquire the rights and put in a marketing plan. Unless they are a paid line-editor or copy-editor. Those are dying but highly beloved breed. A good line-editor can save a book. If you know of any, let me know? If you are one? Can we be friends?
The book takes place in Wilmington, Florida. Which I didn't know existed but the authors apparently have vacationed at in recent years. Kate and her husband, Curran, along with their eight year old son, Conlan, have moved there and are constructing a fortress of sorts. It's a post-apocalyptic world. I wouldn't start the series with this book - however, it's written in such a way that you can pick it up without having necessarily read the rest. Still, don't start here. Start with Magic Bites - which is more of a mystery procedural. It becomes serialized by the third or fourth book. The second book isn't the best.
The world building is unique and innovative. Different than others. She delves into Middle Eastern, Russian and Asian folklore as opposed to just Celtic or Judeo-Christian. Also, a heavy emphasis on Babylonian and Hebrew.
More of an re-interpretation of Old Testament and Koran than New. Highly recommended for atheists. The writers strike me as falling into atheist or agnostic.
There is a militaristic feel to it, and the male lead is Alpha, basically he shape-shifts into a huge prehistoric Lion. But considering how powerful and fierce the female lead is - that's kind of required.
There are gay relationships in the series - just not in this book. And the focus here isn't romance, they are already married and have a kid - they've moved on.
It's told in three points of view - Kate's, Curran's and Conlan's. I'm not sure why - unless the writers got bored. Which happens with this type of writing?
Basically the set up is find a missing kid and take out all the crazy people who took the kid before they kill you.
Off to bed.
In came in a white box which stated "Forever Love". And inside was...
A perpetual flower. If you can't see the photos? My apologies. It's basically the flower from Beauty and the Beast - or that's what it reminds me of at any rate, complete with glass case (although I think it's plastic and it doesn't come off of the flower, it's sealed in there. And it may light up - although not sure why it needs too? Kind of sparkly on its own.)
Funky, right. It's a forever rose under glass, and when the light hits it? It sparkles. Also apparently you can put batteries in it, and it lights up or something? I don't know - didn't come with instructions or anything, just a blank card that said Best Wishes.
I put it in my window. It is cheery.
***
Thought about describing my commute - but I don't want to remember it. After debarking the train at Atlantic Avenue Terminal, I climbed a staircase that smelled of urine, with an empty cup at the top, and liquid trickling down it. This city really needs to address its homeless problem.
Mother asked if the Venzeulan Immigrants being shipped here made it worse? I doubt it. The homeless that I see aren't Venzeulan. Black African-American and White, mainly. They were born here - not immigrated. Most are addicts or mentally ill. It's painful to see them each day, huddled in blankets, with their grocery carts, and raggedly layers of clothing on the floor of the air train building. The Port Authority of NY and New Jersey has now put up police metal grate barriers along the lobby, and barricading the area alongside the back end of the Air Train building - near the entrance to my workplace. I basically walk through a barricade maze to get to and from work. It's gotten worse since the pandemic - and is partly due to all the development in the area, and drug usage. Not to mention lack of good jobs, decent pay, and affordable housing, health care, and mental health options.
***
Books
* Starter Villain by John Scalzi as read by Will Wheaton It's about a divorced down-on-his-luck substitute teacher (Charlie) living in his parents house with two cats, that inherits his uncle's business. One problem? His uncle is a villain. Oh, and that's not all? His uncle dabbled in various types of highly illegal genetic research - so apparently he has highly intelligent cats running his intelligence and spying on his nephew. The cats living with Charlie - have been collecting intelligence on him for his nephew. And, he employs genetically enhanced dolphins to main security and also collect intelligence. But the dolphins are about to go on strike in protest of bad working conditions.
It's amusing, to say the least.
Scalzi seems to write tongue-in-cheek satiric sci-fi, or at least that's what I've read or listened to - to date. Red Shirts and The Kaiju Preservation Society. I've not tried Old Man's War.
I like his writing style, and Andy Weir's. They kind of are similar, except Weir is more hard science fiction and Scalzi is more playful.
* Yellowface by R. F. Kuang - well, it does an excellent take down of the cancel culture on Twitter in regards to the publishing industry, I'll give it that. The publishing industry (in case you were unaware) is highly dependent on social media platforms like Twitter and Bluesky and Instagram to market its wares. Mainly Twitter and Bluesky. And like all marketing platforms - it's designed to make the most negative marketing go viral. In marketing - negative messages are just as likely to sell as positive, sometimes more so. There's the curiosity factor? People will often grab a book, see a film, or television show that has garnered negative reviews or low ratings or better yet? Is highly controversial. They want to see it for themselves. Also, a negative message often goes viral - again curiosity factor - and brings in more hits and views to the site. Social media platforms love kerfuffles. Particularly platforms like Twitter.
Dreamwidth and the old VOY platforms weren't really designed for the kerfuffle. But Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook are.
And people kind of like them? Curiosity factor. Or the rubber-necking of folks on the highway to see the accident, slowing down traffic as a result.
RF Kuang satirizes this a bit too well in Yellowface. Where Juniper Song Hayward - starts getting blasted for passing off a dead Asian woman's manuscript off as her own. (Which she kind of did? She revised it, and finished it without the woman's permission (the woman died) or the woman's family's permission. And without giving the dead woman any credit for it, or the woman's family a percentage of the proceeds. So, yes, evil. But no one has proof of it, just suspicions.) Anyhow, someone goes on Twitter with a made up name and starts making accusations, the accusations go viral.
Etc.
What's odd about the whole thing - is how the book is written? It's written in such a way that you get angry at the people on twitter attempting to cancel Song. It also talks about how Toxic Twitter is - but how dependent authors and the publishing industry has become on it. It's a toxic co-dependent relationship.
All of which is actually true to some extent. I know - I've seen it. It makes me never want to put anything I write out there. Or ever sell a book.
God, people suck. The vitriol that people launch at each other on social media is horrific. If I didn't know people could be complete and utter unself-aware, self-righteous assholes - I do now, thank you internet.
Anyhow, this is not a good book to read before bed. Instead of putting me to sleep? It had me raging and yelling at it. I was ranting at the book.
Not conducive to sleep at all.
* Magic Tides by the husband & wife writing team Illona Andrews - the magic series basically ruined me in regards to all urban fantasy.
I like a specific writing style - which is heavy dialogue, banter, and snark. Also causal or conversational writing style. Formal writing style or classical will annoy me in this genre. It's why I can't read the Toby fairy series - the dialogue is too formal, they all sound like they are in Elizabethan England, and just no.
Writing style is an important factor in choosing a book. I honestly think it alone can make or break certain books for me, and I'm guessing others?
Some writing styles are easier for me to read than others - because of how my eyes skip over things and have to skip back again. This one I find easy to read - I can hear the words in my head. It's like watching a movie. Doesn't require much work at all - and makes me laugh.
Now, weirdly enough this is not true of all of their books. I only seem to like the Kate Daniels series. I've tried others and can't get into them. Haven't tried the Innkeeper series - so may be wrong on that score.
They do have a few ticks? Or quirks that could annoy people? Such as: Kate says "Aha" a lot. And that is in other books or series too. Another overused phrase is "Why me?" Which gets whiny after a bit, and makes the reader think - "why not you?" I think of those as writer bugs - the writer thinks that way and is not aware of them, and the editor hasn't done a good job of kicking them to the side, or has decided that they fit the writer. Not sure which. I honestly think the editors nowadays do little more than acquire the rights and put in a marketing plan. Unless they are a paid line-editor or copy-editor. Those are dying but highly beloved breed. A good line-editor can save a book. If you know of any, let me know? If you are one? Can we be friends?
The book takes place in Wilmington, Florida. Which I didn't know existed but the authors apparently have vacationed at in recent years. Kate and her husband, Curran, along with their eight year old son, Conlan, have moved there and are constructing a fortress of sorts. It's a post-apocalyptic world. I wouldn't start the series with this book - however, it's written in such a way that you can pick it up without having necessarily read the rest. Still, don't start here. Start with Magic Bites - which is more of a mystery procedural. It becomes serialized by the third or fourth book. The second book isn't the best.
The world building is unique and innovative. Different than others. She delves into Middle Eastern, Russian and Asian folklore as opposed to just Celtic or Judeo-Christian. Also, a heavy emphasis on Babylonian and Hebrew.
More of an re-interpretation of Old Testament and Koran than New. Highly recommended for atheists. The writers strike me as falling into atheist or agnostic.
There is a militaristic feel to it, and the male lead is Alpha, basically he shape-shifts into a huge prehistoric Lion. But considering how powerful and fierce the female lead is - that's kind of required.
There are gay relationships in the series - just not in this book. And the focus here isn't romance, they are already married and have a kid - they've moved on.
It's told in three points of view - Kate's, Curran's and Conlan's. I'm not sure why - unless the writers got bored. Which happens with this type of writing?
Basically the set up is find a missing kid and take out all the crazy people who took the kid before they kill you.
Off to bed.
no subject