I'm watching/rewatching Basic Instinct. I figured out what I wanted to say in a micro review before I'm even a third of the way through, but I want to say something in a micro review and see if it holds up for me when I'm finished. lols. I live on the edge.

#AmWatching #MicroReview #BasicInstinct
https://boxd.it/2asM

I took a stab at my first review of a Criterion film. yay. #AmWatching #film #MicroReview

https://boxd.it/4qgqZ3

Am I an #QueensOfTheStoneAge fanboy? Yes.
Am I biased when reviewing In Times New Roman? Yes.

But:

This album hits all my sweet spots. It is reduced to the best. Dry and melodic. Short, hard, simple riffs. Era Vulgaris part 2? No, better! Villains is long gone, the desert is back!

In Times New Roman is a masterpiece, 4,5 out of 5.

All hail the Queens!

#TomsAOTY2023 #QOTSA #InTimesNewRoman #MicroReview #Music

_Dead Country_ by Max Gladstone

Tara Abernathy is back! I really probably should have tried to reread the full Craft sequence before reading this because I did not completely remember what happened at the end (the black folder). Still that wasn't the primary thrust and Mr. Gladstone provided sufficient context to understand -- I just kind of wanted to remember the full thing.

His prose continues to delight. A somber reflection on family and grief in part. Also an exploration of the phrase "You can't go home again" and what that means with close small communities and their relations to urban living.

And with all this, a fantastic extension and development of the underlying Craft (legal necromancy) art that underpins the systems of the world he describes.

Greatly recommended especially if you liked the prior books.

#microreview #fantasy #necromancy

_Steal the Sky_ by Megan O'Keefe

A mix of a heist, mystery, and adventure in a world where there's some sort of moldable gas and psychic powers that control the moldable gas. A fine attempt by Ms. O'Keefe but at least for this reader it just didn't hit right. The mining town was both rich and impoverished but I never got a good mental picture of it. The protagonist was charming and talkative but didn't really end up seeming to do anytihng. The antagonists were many and varied with what sort of seemed like incoherent motives, along with a final antagonist who seems like she'd be carrying forward as the real adversary. Just a sort of muddled heist. Since that moldable gas (also kind of in itself a weird concept) can also change colors, there's illusions and mimicking going on confusing much of the story. I think the story might be trying to do too much and needed a slightly more straightforward throughline of plot. Snappy dialog though.

#microreview #books #reading #fantasy #sf

Alex Verus Series by Benedict Jacka

I usually try to review books but I've been following this series for awhile now and got to the end and figured I'd microreview everything. First I'm a sucker for the urban wizard/magician/practitioner, whether it be Dresden, or Carter, or Sandman Slim. Something about the style just feels fun to me. Alex Verus is in that vein but at least nominally hits lighter. His schtick is divination magic which he goes to lengths to note is not combat oriented (though is a badass in his own way).

Additionally a good urban magician story is nothing without the supporting cast and Jacka developed a tight circle of characters around Alex, from wise Arachne, cursed Luna, and others. All are significant support to Alex and have their own drives and agency.

The series begins with _Fated_ and ends with _Risen_. Quite a trip that changes character over the length. Quite recommended overall!

#microreview #books #fantasy #urban

⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Tyrant Baru Cormorant / Seth Dickinson

I don't think a series has ever ruined me as much as Baru's story 🥹💔 But fuck, I'm all here for it. I'm craving the final book – when is it out? It doesn't matter. I'll probably reread this master piece mix of cunning and dark and queer before then.

... what do I do now?

#BookReview​
#MicroReview​
#SpeculativeFiction #SFF​ #QueerSFF
#Bookstodon​

_John Dies at the End_ by David Wong (pseudonym Jason Pargin)

I'm not sure this one aged as well as one might hope. I read it when it came out and thought it horrifying and hilarious (about 2007-2008 timeframe). Probably just due to aging up, but some of the sophomoric bits felt less funny. That said, a lot of the vile horror bits are still shocking, and the sweet spots are even more appreciated (the late novel section of "All you need to know about John" really resonated.) A game I played with myself was "Do I like David? Do I like John?" I think when I first read it, I liked David far more. However this time through, I think John is the more admirable character. I can appreciate the basic good in him and appreciating the fun and eyerolling at the rest. David is harder to empathize with.

#microreview #books #sf #fantasy #horror

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spear / Nicola Griffith

A novella that feels more wholesome than any novella I've read before. A very queer Arthurian retelling. Gorgeous writing, gorgeous illustrations. Would recommend to anyone just slightly curious about it. Go read it. I could be a new Griffith fan! Would love to read more from her.

#BookReview​
#MicroReview​
#Novella #SpeculativeFiction #SFF
#Bookstodon​

I got behind on my #microreview list before, so now I think I'm caught up. In the TBR list I have _Steal the Sky_ by Megan O'Keefe and John Dies at the End by David Wong (pseudonym of Jason Pargin). I will probably tackle JDatE first because it's February's book club book and while I've read it before, it's been awhile.

#books #sf #fantasy

_Destination: Void_ by Frank Herbert

This was a book club pick and... well it's something. Absolutely chock-a-block with technobabble to its detriment, though you can see seeds or echoes of similar ideas that get explored in _Dune_. I can't say I'd recommend this one unless you a truly a die-hard Frank Herbert fan.

#microreview #books #sf

_Axiom's End_ by Lindsay Ellis

Excellent first contact novel in my opinion. Frequently these things are explored from a technical view, whereas this novel is very human and with very relateable concerns. The choice of time period was interesting, though I'm not certain I buy one minor background twist because I don't believe that man has that much humility but it's a very minor plot point. I believe there's a follow on I will have to read now.

#microreview #books #sf

_Three Axes to Fall_ by Sam Sykes

A satisfying conclusion to the Grave of Empires series. In truth it's more the threeway relationship between Sal/Liette/Cacophony, but we'll go with the book cover. I found the framing story more charming than prior novels, the listener getting a chance to be a character too. Style and pacing are about the same as before, so if you liked the prior two, you'll like this one.

#microreview #books #fantasy

⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Field Of Blood / Denise Mina

Mina's books are honest and tragic, her characters awfully human. This is the first book in the Paddy Meehan series about a young woman striving to become a journalist, a crime reporter seeking truth and justice.

Mina's Glasgow is raw and gritty. Her books are more a social commentary, not the 'explosive page-turner' kind.

#BookReview​
#MicroReview​
#CrimeBooks #ThrillerBooks
#Bookstodon​

Back to the grind. Have several Jira tasks for improving this firmware design and/or adding new features that product line management desire and says are necessary to keep selling units. Never a dull moment, though hopefully we can avoid the crazy schedule for the end of 2022! I do like my #fpga work though, so I imagine it'll be alright.

Backlogged on a few book #microreview entries too. During the Southwest meltdown I had a great deal of free time camping out airport gates I finished quickly

I watched a #movie yesterday: Boss Level. If I were to review it I'd say it's your average action adventure with a muscly man trying to save the world while making terrible jokes. It's 2 hours of quick entertainment and sometimes just what you need.

It made me think: I don't know how to write quick trope based #bookreviews. As if spending days (not hours) in the company of a book requires me to treat it with... "more respect"? Not sure.

But for 2023 you'll see me practice under #MicroReview

⭐⭐⭐
How High We Go In The Dark / Sequoia Nagamatsu

14 stories combined paints the story of what happens to the world when the Arctic ice melts and lets loose an ancient virus causing a plague. I enjoyed the writing and the characters, loved the first half, not so much the latter which was a bit too Sci-Fi for me.

Vibes: dystopian, bleak, raw
Themes: loss, grief, loneliness, family, love, environmental and health challenges

#BookReview
#MicroReview
#SpeculativeFiction
#Bookstodon

_The Gallows Black_ by Sam Sykes

This has been in the Kindle library and I really should have gotten to this novella sooner, seeing how I've really enjoyed Sal the Cacophony and Liette in the novels. This novella introduces them for the first time, a fairly violent meet-cute for the couple. Definitely gives some background to their relationship; it's always had its rocky moments, but the connection between the two is strong from the start.

#microreview #fantasy #books

_The Gallows Black_ by Sam Sykes

This has been in the Kindle library and I really should have gotten to this novella sooner, seeing how I've really enjoyed Sal the Cacophony and Liette in the novels. This novella introduces them for the first time, a fairly violent meet-cute for the couple. Definitely gives some background to their relationship; it's always had its rocky moments, but the connection between the two is strong from the start.

#microreview #fantasy #books

_Song for the Unraveling of the World_ by Brian Evenson

I have been working on this for awhile so while I just finished it, it's been filler between books for awhile. Very nice short story collection; Mr Evenson has a strong knack for creating unsettling situations. The only drawback is that unsettling only goes so far before the reader wants more; wants that curtain pulled back. However, interspersed, these stories are top notch.

#microreview #books #shortstory #fantasy #scifi #horror