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Snow, Reading, and Other Such Things
Mar. 8th, 2023 01:36 pm It's snowing again and is basically supposed to do this all through the weekend. Luckily, I don't have very many places to go, so it's fine with me. (Check in with me again, later, if Saint Paul doesn't declare a snow emergency and doesn't plow.)
As for reading, I've been doing something new. Most of the time when I am working on a quilt, I'll watch something mindless--an anime or Critical Role. But, a friend of mine suggested trying a "book on tape," which of course isn't ON TAPE any more and which you can download as an audio file directly to your phone from the library. So, I tried Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi and it was... tough. I mean, it's meant to be a hard, serious examination of the lives of Black men in America (with magical realism) and the baseline for that is pretty hardcore. On top of that, Onyebuchi doesn't pull his punches either, (nor should he.) HOWEVER, this was not the book for me at the moment. I have been craving low-stakes, light romps. Riot Baby was the polar opposite of that vibe. I hope to finish it some other time.
But, for now, I returned the book early. I am currently a couple of chapters into the audio book of Charlie Jane Ander's All The Birds in the Sky. I had bounced out of this book when I first took it out of the library the year it was up for all the awards, but, ironically, at that time I was not in the mood for light, fluffy magical stuff. I'm hoping that now is the right time for this book, finally.
It's funny how this stuff works.
As for paper, I've been working my way through T. Kingfisher's Saints of Steel series and am currently on Book 3, Paladin's Hope. I deeply enjoy this series and will probably have to read everything in the World of the White Rat, as well.
My D&D group, which normally meets tonight, is down two members due to dumb job stuff for one, and not-quite-recovered from illness for another. So, the rest of us decided it would be unfair to continue the main campaign with two players out and so we're doing a side campaign. I've long had two alternate characters ready to roll, as it were--Idyril's sister Ave and a figure known only to his family as "the bastard."
So, tonight I will be playing Idyril's sassy sister, Ave. The person all of his angst-filled letters have been sent to. I'm kind of unreasonably excited about this? I have been waiting to unveil her, but of course, I never wanted Idyril to have to DIE so that I could play her. I will try not to be a boring RPGer and talk too much about her here on the blog. Let's just say my favorite thing is that she's a monk and her spymastering family wanted her to chose "the way of the shadow" (think: ninja assassin) but she's a Drunken Master (like Jackie Chan, in the movie of the same name.)
The only other fun thing of note that I shall mention about her is that because she's a Drunken Master, she carries brewers supplies. I've decided that due to this, she has access to brewer's yeast, which means that tonight, instead of the usual cookies that I bring, I'm making a loaf of cinnamon bread.
That should be fun.
Mason is coming home for Spring Break this Friday. He'll arrive to snow, but I think, so long as planes are not delayed and such, that will make him happy. He often complains that Connecticut doesn't understand Real Winter. My son is totally That One Kid in Flip-Flops in 40 degree weather.
I think that's all the news fit to print. What are y'all reading or consuming lately of interest?
As for reading, I've been doing something new. Most of the time when I am working on a quilt, I'll watch something mindless--an anime or Critical Role. But, a friend of mine suggested trying a "book on tape," which of course isn't ON TAPE any more and which you can download as an audio file directly to your phone from the library. So, I tried Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi and it was... tough. I mean, it's meant to be a hard, serious examination of the lives of Black men in America (with magical realism) and the baseline for that is pretty hardcore. On top of that, Onyebuchi doesn't pull his punches either, (nor should he.) HOWEVER, this was not the book for me at the moment. I have been craving low-stakes, light romps. Riot Baby was the polar opposite of that vibe. I hope to finish it some other time.
But, for now, I returned the book early. I am currently a couple of chapters into the audio book of Charlie Jane Ander's All The Birds in the Sky. I had bounced out of this book when I first took it out of the library the year it was up for all the awards, but, ironically, at that time I was not in the mood for light, fluffy magical stuff. I'm hoping that now is the right time for this book, finally.
It's funny how this stuff works.
As for paper, I've been working my way through T. Kingfisher's Saints of Steel series and am currently on Book 3, Paladin's Hope. I deeply enjoy this series and will probably have to read everything in the World of the White Rat, as well.
My D&D group, which normally meets tonight, is down two members due to dumb job stuff for one, and not-quite-recovered from illness for another. So, the rest of us decided it would be unfair to continue the main campaign with two players out and so we're doing a side campaign. I've long had two alternate characters ready to roll, as it were--Idyril's sister Ave and a figure known only to his family as "the bastard."
So, tonight I will be playing Idyril's sassy sister, Ave. The person all of his angst-filled letters have been sent to. I'm kind of unreasonably excited about this? I have been waiting to unveil her, but of course, I never wanted Idyril to have to DIE so that I could play her. I will try not to be a boring RPGer and talk too much about her here on the blog. Let's just say my favorite thing is that she's a monk and her spymastering family wanted her to chose "the way of the shadow" (think: ninja assassin) but she's a Drunken Master (like Jackie Chan, in the movie of the same name.)
The only other fun thing of note that I shall mention about her is that because she's a Drunken Master, she carries brewers supplies. I've decided that due to this, she has access to brewer's yeast, which means that tonight, instead of the usual cookies that I bring, I'm making a loaf of cinnamon bread.
That should be fun.
Mason is coming home for Spring Break this Friday. He'll arrive to snow, but I think, so long as planes are not delayed and such, that will make him happy. He often complains that Connecticut doesn't understand Real Winter. My son is totally That One Kid in Flip-Flops in 40 degree weather.
I think that's all the news fit to print. What are y'all reading or consuming lately of interest?