changes

I love that in the afterword the author essentially admits that a germ of this book was in fact a crush on an arctic explorer, written for the enjoyment of friends who perhaps share the romantic obsession. I had already assumed as much while reading the narrative, so it was refreshing for her to not be coy or pretentious about this.

Great reminder to me as a would-be writer that a way into this (maybe the way into this?) is to unabashedly pursue an idea that interests me, and learn and write all I can about it. When the writer is interested in what they are writing about and having fun writing it, that intrigue and fun should come through to the reader. It worked in the case of this book for this reader, at least.

Past Log Updates

2024-08-02 :

Picked this up yesterday and tried it out simply because it had the next closest due date of all my current library checkouts, would not be renewable. Spent a couple hours reading instead of doing other things, then stayed up past midnight reading until I got too sleepy to actually finish it.

Not world-shattering but has a little bit of everything, like the blurbs say, and it’s fun. Like a lighter, funnier, more romantic David Mitchell book? (Thinking Bone Clocks, Cloud Atlas, etc.)

Resources

Standalone post link: Reading Log: The Ministry of Time

Finally got around to this one, and Will watched it with me. Should have tried harder to see this in the theater, it deserves as big of a screen as it can get.

On the other hand Will wouldn’t have been ready for this any time before now..

Also have Part 2, need to watch it this week.

Standalone post link: Watching Log: Dune (2021)

Will and I watched Back to the Future tonight. Literally dated film, but it’s still great.

This was my suggestion. I’ve decided to try to be a little more pro-active about sharing different kinds of films and music and food and stuff with my kids, rather than just always sitting back and letting them watch whatever they’re used to.

Standalone post link: Watching Log: Back to the Future

My father-in-law is in the Philippines on a work trip and there were pictures shared and discussion of the awesomeness of jeepneys and tricycles in the family chat, so that of course over anything else gave me a flimsy excuse to think of this album and listen to it again, as it doesn’t take very much to make me think of this album and want to listen to it again. And I surprisingly couldn’t resist also randomly sharing¹ in the family chat a modicum of my enthusiasm for the album and Chaz' associated jeepney restoration project.

Toro y Moi - The Loop (Official Video)

Toro y Moi - Postman (Official Video)

Want a Ride in Toro y Moi’s Jeepney? | KQED

Toro y Moi - Goes By So Fast: a MAHAL Film [Behind the Scenes]

If I somehow convert even just one of my nieces, nephews, or in-laws into a Tory y Moi fan, my joy will be tenfold. Even if I just plant the seed…

Standalone post link: Listening Log: MAHAL

I had to scroll back through my added albums to last year to find this again because I couldn’t remember this artist or album name. I only remembered the crunchy fuzzy 90s-altrock/shoegazish vibe and that Toro y Moi produced it and that it came out last year and that it had a dog and barfy slimy green and magenta letters on the cover.

[Listening progression: MAHAL –> Hole Erth preview tracks –> GIZMO (this album.)] When I first read a blurb and saw the art for Toro y Moi’s forthcoming album Hole Erth I imagined that it was going be something like this album. Turns out the tracks that have been released from Hole Erth so far aren’t much like this album at all, but that’s okay.

Mr. Rain

The final track “Mr. Rain” really matches the weather and mood this evening, dramatic thunderstorms overhead mixed with golden hour sunset lighting under the clouds to the west.

Standalone post link: Listening Log: GIZMO

Finished reading early this morning. Another great one from this author. Review to come?

Past Log Updates

2024-07-11

Started reading this the other night with my son but it was too harrowing for him as a bedtime read, so I’ve just been continuing on my own.

2024-07-13 - 31%

So far it stays somewhat creepy throughout, with a mysterious vibe and shadow of death over everything that happens, so for the sake of my son’s restfulness it was a good call to not continue with it in that venue. We really loved A Snake Falls to Earth and I had also read Elatsoe previously. He was interested in trying Elatsoe but we decided to try this prequel first. I’m not sure if we would encounter the same issues with Elatsoe; I don’t remember it being too suspenseful (at least not in the “threat to small children” and “missing mother” elements which Sheine Lende opens with), but it does have a murder mystery element, vampires, and some creepiness. Maybe he’ll come back to this later in another way?

If there was a sequel or prequel to A Snake Falls to Earth he would read it in a second. I for one look forward to a story of the mockingbird’s chaotic misadventures on Earth, culminating with taking down the Nightmare?

2024-07-19 - 51%

2024-08-12 - 68%

Got myself back to this book tonight; no way am I going to leave it unfinished.

Resources

Standalone post link: Reading Log: Sheine Lende

Past Log Updates

DATE :

Resources

Standalone post link: Reading Log: Death's Country

Forgot what a smart follow up this is; it builds so well on the first book while exploring so many more ideas.

And the meeting with the maker loomed so large in our minds; we misremembered that that happened at the end of the first book, and so were waiting forever for it, but also didn’t want Roz to get caught. Couldn’t remember how it all came together.

Past Log Updates

2024-08-03: Started Reading

Read aloud with my son at bedtimes some nights; a re-read for both of us. We previously finished our re-read of The Wild Robot and intend to read the full trilogy. Also feel a bad hipster’s need to clarify that we started these reads without knowing about the upcoming film release; wouldn’t want to be misconstrued as following a trend. I was a Wild Robot fan before it was cool.

2024-08-11 : 29%

Resources

Standalone post link: Reading Log: The Wild Robot Escapes

All fours is a hell of a book. Hilarious, ridiculous, not infrequently gross and also not infrequently profound. Feels like it was probably a lot fun and freedom to write this way, but with a huge amount of thought and work under the surface.

Past Log Updates

DATE :

Resources

The Yale Review | Miranda July on Emotional Honestly, Art-Making, and…

Standalone post link: Reading Log: All Fours

(I didn’t complete my re-read of this book, I guess.)

Past Log Updates

DATE : 2024-09-07

Reading Soil again because I want to move forward with rewilding my yard, but a little more intentionally as Dungy describes in this book, instead of my lazy ways. This book is the only thing I’ve encountered so far that describes something close to what I want to try to do going forward.

Also, I just really like this book and wanted to practice notemaking and writing my thoughts and responses to it this time around.

Resources

Standalone post link: Reading Log: Soil