marcicat: (cookies)
The Murderbot Diaries series has three super-short stories that I've seen in posts about suggested reading order. And I was pretty sure I once saw a post on tumblr with links to all of them, but hahahaha good luck to me ever finding that again. Luckily, it didn't take much sleuthing to track down workable free links, all of which seem to be as legit as anything on the internet these days.

1. Obsolescence
(this is actually a page where you can download a pdf of multiple short stories, including Obsolescence)
This one takes place waaaaaay in the past, and it's about the 'augmented rovers' that get mentioned in something MB watches. I thought it was sad, but wanted to read it just so I knew what was in it.

2. Compulsory
(not sure why this was published in Wired, but I know nothing about Wired, so maybe that's a thing it does?)
This one is set pre-series, and MB rescues a human worker at a mining facility. Includes the SecUnit lore that the workers don't think SecUnits can talk, and also clarification that SecUnits are not actually there to protect human workers.

3. Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory
(this story is also currently for sale on various sites, and just showed up on hoopla for me)
Set directly after 'Exit Strategy,' and it's from Mensah's POV!

Overse, sitting with Arada’s bare feet on her lap, gestures in frustration. “It would be closer to being done if Ratthi’s tables weren’t all over the place and all the links broken. What were you thinking, Ratthi?”

“I was planning to sort it all out the day GrayCris started trying to kill us, it was very distracting,” Ratthi protests.
marcicat: (bird with balloon)
So, technically I finished listening on Friday, but I definitely fell asleep during the last bit and had no idea what happened. So on Saturday I went back and actually awake-finished!

In conclusion: AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

(Great book!)

So, this is basically The Murderbot Diaries series so far:

BOOK 1: Murderbot makes some friends

BOOK 2: Murderbot makes some friends

BOOK 3: Murderbot makes some friends

BOOK 4: Murderbot rescues its friends from BOOK 1

BOOK 6 (the internet was definitely right about reading this one after 4): Murderbot thinks its BOOK 1 friends may need more rescuing, so it hangs around (and makes some friends)

BOOK 5: Murderbot rescues one of its BOOK 2 friends, and makes some friends, and gets rescued itself (it's the longest book; a lot happens!)

BOOK 7: ???????

(Note: I LOVE THIS. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO READ ABOUT. YES, PLEASE.)
marcicat: (pacman stealth)
I've now read (listened to) the first four Murderbot Diaries audiobooks, plus Fugitive Telemetry (book 6, but the internet advised that it fits into the timeline as book 5, which it definitely seemed to do).

They were great, I loved them! (ESPECIALLY 'Artificial Condition,' because of ART, and also 'Exit Strategy,' because of TEAMWORK)

And NOW I'm up to Network Effect, and I'm NERVOUS! I have a vague idea of stuff that happens, and it's SO MUCH! I'm taking a break right now by listening to some other more relaxing audiobooks before I dive in.
marcicat: (muffin)
Listened to book 2 of The Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells) this week and it was A+ great; very enjoyable! (I absolutely cannot remember most of the titles, or the order of the titles I do remember.)

It's been really interesting to watch the tv show and listen to the books at the same time, because it's made me realize just how much the books being from MB's POV influences everything. So it's like:

TV SHOW: DRAMATIC MUSIC
book MB: actually watching a show, doesn't care about IRL drama

TV SHOW: MOOD LIGHTING
book MB: visual sensors automatically adjust; doesn't notice mood lighting

TV SHOW: SURVEY SUDDENLY INCLUDES SERIOUS RISK OF DEATH FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES, VERY SCARY
book MB: literally no different than any other day; maybe a little nicer than most days, actually

It's great, I'm enjoying both very much. The tv show has reminded me that the humans are justifiably very upset at everything being awful, and also made me appreciate how much book!MB's just having a regular day at the office.
marcicat: (stripey cat)
Some Random Thoughts

*The weather is as gray as yesterday, with more wind and less rain. The forecast says sun this afternoon, which I'm desperately hoping is not an April Fool's Day joke.

*My excitement over my hoopla borrows refreshing today far exceeds the actual impact of this happening. I ALREADY HAVE an audiobook queued up in Libby; I DO NOT NEED any hoopla borrows today. AND YET. (I want options! MAXIMUM OPTIONS!)

*When I changed one of my calendar pages today, I thought to myself 'huh, March's picture was hummingbirds, I wonder what April's will be?' And it turns out April's picture is also hummingbirds. Is it possible I got a hummingbird calendar and don't remember? I did not do any work to actually answer this question.

*I have the snopes feed on my reading page, which I mostly ignore. Every once in a while I'll scroll by something like 'despite recent widespread rumors and tiktok trend, restaurant chopsticks not intended to be eaten.' And I'm reminded yet again that I have almost zero exposure to widespread rumors and current trends, and I feel immeasurably grateful for that.

*NOTE: I made that headline up. I really want to believe there is not any trend or rumors about eating restaurant chopsticks.
marcicat: (aquarius dreamsheep)
Love getting the email from hoopla telling me I still have borrows left for the month -- it's like 'hey, you signed up for free things! you could get more free things if you want! just making sure you're taking full advantage of your free things! if you want them!'

I mean, I do want them! Thanks, hoopla! I'm actually fully aware of how many borrows I have left for the month, along with a vague and ever-changing plan of what I'm going to use them for. I'm simply savoring the anticipation of them, and the vast possibility they currently hold.
marcicat: (sky circles)
I have completed all my winter reading bingo goals! (hahaha I NEED SLEEP) Was this a wise choice for my time yesterday/last night/very very early this morning? I guess that's debatable. But it was a fun choice!

I listened to all of 'A Deadly Education' by Naomi Novik for the 'book that you put on hold' square (it's also won awards, but I was Firmly Resolved not to use the same book for two squares, unless I read it twice). Then I used 'Wild Magic' by Alexandra Ivy for the 'book that's won an award' square.

(To be fair, I was really stretching the 'won an award' thing. It was one of hoopla's February bonus borrows, which certainly felt like a prize to me. And it was my final book chosen for the bingo card, which seems worthy of recognition. AND I also personally awarded it the 'book I read to take a break from 'A Deadly Education' prize! So that's three sort-of awards, which surely counts.)

BIG KUDOS to the Libby and hoopla apps for letting me squeak by on all the 'interact with a library and library content' squares!
marcicat: (badger travel)
Last night I was reading a story, and thinking about just staying up late (later) to finish it. But then I was all, 'WAIT! the bingo square!'

Because the bingo challenge ends on Friday, and I'm trying to finish one more row before then, and the three squares that remain are:
*enjoy a hot beverage while you read
*read a book that's won an award
*put a book on hold

And I wasn't reading something from my hold list OR that's won an award, so I figured I'd better wait to read the last 50 pages or so until today, and then I could read them while drinking coffee. And I went to sleep! (Although then I literally dreamed about doing my job, so who knows whether that was worth it or not.)
marcicat: (puffin)
BOOK CLUB UPDATE: NO SURPRISES HERE

The workplace book club was introduced with mild fanfare in January, with a book selection, plans for weekly posts throughout the month, and a promised (but unscheduled) discussion to be held at a later date.

I read the book. I saw one (1) post about it on the company's online sharing place [look, it used to be google+ when I started, and it's changed SO MANY times since then that I have no idea what it's called now]. I sent an email to the nominal organizer at the start of February, sort of a 'hey, will there be a meeting? was there already a meeting? no pressure, just want to show my support' type message.

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER I received a reply. So sorry for the late reply! the email said. There was no meeting! They had emailed everyone who had RSVP'd to the month-long book club calendar invite to ask if they wanted to have one, and everyone said no.

[TO CLARIFY: I had no idea we were supposed to 'RSVP' to the month-long calendar invite. What?!]

IN CONCLUSION: The 2025 workplace book club has ended EVEN EARLIER than the previous 2018 attempt. Not even one meeting! I expect in another seven years, they'll try again, but possibly no one will know about it, since if the pattern holds, it will last for even less time, and not even reach the point of picking a book.
marcicat: (heart dino)
The only two squares I haven't achieved are "read a book from the year you were born" and "checkout a cookbook."

*'book from the year you were born'
I did a basic online search of books published in the year I was born, and didn't see anything that caught my eye. I know lots of old classics are beloved by many, but there are lots of books on my 'ooh, that sounds fun' list and not a single one was published in the year I was born.

*'checkout a cookbook'
I mean, I could check out a cookbook; the square doesn't seem to require actually reading it. But since I have no plans to read it, it feels disingenuous. I'm fascinated that I was willing to read a magazine for the bingo card, but not a cookbook. (Really, that's where I draw the line???)

Since it didn't take me two months to get through all the rest of the squares, I started going back through them a second time, with a few additional squares left out. I'm hoping to get in a line or two of triple plays before the end of February. We'll see!
marcicat: snowflake (love water)
OH NOOOOOOOOO AO3 IS DOWN! Okay, fic rec Friday is postponed to the weekend. Time for: AUDIOBOOK ADVENTURES instead!

Earlier this week I was all, 'I want a supernatural space romance, but funny,' and kudos to Dianne Duvall's book 'The Akseli' for being just that! It's technically part of a series (Aldebarian Alliance), but it's described as a standalone and explains any context needed. I enjoyed it very much!

Now I've gone back and started going through the rest of the series in order. Book one was mostly on Earth, although WAY less stressful since I already knew from book four that they'd be okay. And now I'm in the midst of book two! SPACE ADVENTURE TIME! GOSH I HOPE THEY ARE ALL OKAY, BUT I BET THEY ARE SINCE I'VE ALREADY READ BOOK FOUR! (Seriously, BEST choice.)

(Spoilers, I guess? Pretty sure it's already explained in the book blurbs, though. Also it's me talking about it, which probably gives away plenty, lol.)
marcicat: (snowbirds on a line)
One of the library's Winter Reading Bingo squares is "tell a friend about your favorite author or book." I'm... not sure I have a favorite author or book? Picking just one seems like a lot of pressure. I like different things at different times! It depends what kind of mood I'm in!

(I could probably set up some kind of 'overall state of my mood' tracker based on what fandom I'm reading the most in at any given time. But I'm not sure I want to know.)

(PS: It's been very interesting watching the hoopla app try to recommend things based on my previous reading. There does not seem to be a way to actually tell it anything, nor does 'supernatural space romance, but funny' seem to be a current literary category. But that algorithm sure is trying!)
marcicat: (black cat in snow)
File this one under: turns out this is one of the eleventy-billion reasons I love fanfic!

So: audiobooks are fun! They're great to listen to while I crochet, or while I pretend to work, or a variety of other activities. (Okay, it's mostly crochet. But right now that's a 'several hours a day' activity, so it adds up to a lot of books!)

But: it's SO HARD for me to pick a new book after I finish one! It's like an echo of the stress of new social situations: WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE THEM? WHAT IF THIS ONE IS NOT FUN?

With fanfic, I know all these people! They're my people! I like them already! There's already a whole foundation of enjoyment built in to each new fanfic experience that makes it way less stressful. WHO KNEW???
marcicat: (aquarius dreamsheep)
I searched my journal for the phrase 'book club' and found (in addition to a 2015 Teen Wolf fic rec that I may someday re-read) that my workplace last attempted a book club back in Ye Olden Times: 2018!

Note: The previous book club was intended to be 'quarterly.' It started in February 2018, had its inaugural meeting in April of 2018, and was never mentioned again. Oh, work.

This time they are not providing the book for free, which is very funny to me for a variety of reasons. I'll be listening to it as an audiobook anyway, thanks to [personal profile] starandrea (THANK YOU!!!), and I will definitely be making an attempt today to listen to it during the work day. Will it work? A MYSTERY!
marcicat: (blue footed bubi)
*53 posts tagged as fic rec! That seems like a nice achievement for the year, even though time is meaningless and numbers don't matter.

*Lots of Star Wars and batfam on the fic list this year -- two fandoms for which I have consumed almost zero canon, which I think makes them way more fun. (There's just so much canon out there for those two things! Who has the time when there's fic to read instead???)

*I read a nonfiction book that I really liked this year! Notable in that it rarely happens! (Women Rowing North, by Mary Pipher)

*Shoutout to the SUMMER READING ADVENTURE at the local library, which re-introduced me to libby and got me to sign up for hoopla, both of which provide free books and audiobooks (and more!). The WINTER READING ADVENTURE begins on January 2nd, and I'm so excited!

*2024, year of audiobooks! It turns out that CROCHET is the answer to 'what can I do while I listen to an audiobook that provides JUST the right amount of additional engagement so that both activities are enhanced?'
marcicat: (stripey cat)
(Much safer to call it an update than a recommendation, phew! I'm interested in charting my own reactions to the audiobook experience, since it still feels very new and exciting, but they're not *recommendations* really. More like: I listened to this! WHAT?!? I have thoughts about it!)

This week's EXPERIENCE (and what an experience it was): A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine

I found it a slow starter, but decided to listen to 20% of it before stopping, and by the time I was three hours in, I was interested enough to keep going. By the time I was 12 hours in, I was all, 'BUT WHO WILL BE THE NEW EMPEROR!?!?!?!?!' So, uh, things escalated.

There's a second book, which is on my list for the future (ALIENS!), but after ::waves hands towards plot:: all that, I was ready for something more relaxing first.
marcicat: (kashmir mountain goat)
An unexpected (though entirely predictable) side effect of listening to audiobooks is that I hear words spoken that previously I'd only seen in writing. And it turns out 'the way my brain imagined that word sounded' and 'the accepted pronunciation of that word' are not always quite the same.

EXAMPLE 1: DIVAN
As in, a fancy couch. I can't recall ever having the need to speak this word out loud, but I was definitely imagining it with an 'i' sound like in the word 'dive.' Audiobook says no, and the internet agrees. (sounds like duh·van, emphasis on the second syllable)

(ahahaha I was going to add 'but I was definitely right about tousled,' and then I thought I'd better double check, and I was NOT right, lol)

EXAMPLE 2: TOUSLED
As in, tousling someone's hair. Different word than 'the kids were tussling in the yard,' but I was Very Confident these were pronounced the same. BUT NO. APPARENTLY NOT. (Sounds like tau·sld, emphasis on the first syllable).

I am boggled. What in the world am I going to learn next?
marcicat: (duckling)
Author link: Everina Maxwell

There are two books, only loosely related. (They're both set in the same universe, but not on the same planets, and the characters never interact.) I listened to the second one first (Ocean's Echo) and enjoyed it enough to listen to the first one (Winter's Orbit), which I thought was great.

They're both narrated by Raphael Corkhill, who deserves a special shoutout for being EXTREMELY DRAMATIC in the best possible way.

(Added bonus: both of the books have a lil' extra available on the website. The Winter's Orbit one is Very Funny, A++)
marcicat: (penguin)
Sometimes you listen to an audiobook, think 'wait, I wonder if this book has fanfic,' and LO!

Fundamental, by clottedcreamfudge

“A simple box step should be sufficient to begin with.”

“Great plan,” Kiem says. “Box step! Love it.”

“You don’t have to know what a box step is, Kiem.”

“Oh, thank fuck.”
marcicat: (heart dino)
I always find it challenging to rec any pro-published work, because it feels more fraught, somehow. With fanfic, I figure AO3 includes all the tags and warnings, so it's easy for anyone to get a basic idea of whether they want to read something. (Plus there's always Ctrl+down arrow, my personal favorite technique! I just want to know how it ends, okay? I GET NERVOUS.)

But I've recently been enjoying audiobooks as a way to read and crochet at the same time, and searching out free offerings on Libby and hoopla (both offered through the local library, both highly recommended!). And I've especially enjoyed audiobooks by Jessie Mihalik, which seem to hit the sweet spot for me of 'I wonder what's going to happen next?' without veering into 'I wonder if I can skip ahead and not miss too much' or 'I AM SO STRESSED ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS BOOK.'

(ALSO after my previous grumbling about four-book series, I'm pleased to report that each book in Jessie Mihalik's trilogies can be enjoyed as a standalone story. There are plot arcs that carry through, but nothing I would call a cliffhanger, particularly relationship-wise.)

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