starfishstar

With the end of the school year, I suddenly have some free time again (what is this strange thing??) and it occurred to me I could do one of these posts...

It's books from all of the first half of this year, rather than just a quarter of the year, like I used to do. Which I guess is fine, because these days I only manage to read a fraction of what I used to! (The irony: Once you become a librarian or a teacher, you no longer have time to read all the books you want to read in your capacity as a librarian or teacher...) 

Apparently I last did these posts in 2021 and...well, that tracks too.

Here we go!


TOP BOOKS

Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo – I was so impressed by Elhillo's first novel, Home Is Not a Country, and – a rather rare thing – her second novel does not at all disappoint. There is no sophomore slump here! When poets write novels in verse about characters who are also poets, very good things happen. (See also: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.) 

Punching Bag and Road Home by Rex Ogle – These are sequels to Ogle's Free Lunch, and all three are memoirs with difficult subject matter about growing up amidst domestic violence, mental illness, and poverty. And yet Ogle's writing is so full of heart, full of compassion for his family members and for his younger self. I find myself thinking back to these books a lot. 


EVEN MORE GOOD BOOKS

Brownstone by Samuel Teer and Mar Julia – Very sweet graphic novel about a girl getting to know the other half of her identity for the first time (her dad is Guatemalan, but she's been raised entirely by her white American mom) and gaining a whole community in the process. 

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates – I don't know why this book didn't stand out to me more! Usually Coates' nonfiction would be an automatic "very top book" from me. I think he's one of our deep thinkers who are very needed right now. I worry I didn't connect with this book as much as I should have because I listened to the audiobook, so maybe I should go back and read it instead. But definitely the section of the book about his time in Palestine was a deep gut punch and should be required reading. 

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton – An interesting set of thematically linked stories, moving from the present to the far future. The book was published in 2018 and what fascinated me was that the book's central concern is genetic modifications and how far humans will go in the pursuit of being "better." 2018 is only a few years ago, but the list of reasons for humans to be terrified about our future has expanded so much, even in that short time, that the book's conceit feels almost quaint. 

The Robber Girl by Franny Billingsley – I love Franny Billingsley's books SO MUCH; especially The Folk Keeper, an instant classic for me. The Robber Girl didn't grab me nearly as much (in fact, I kept putting it down and not managing to get back to it...though that may be me and my lack of available time for anything that's not an audiobook) but it's certainly got Billingsley's characteristic inventiveness, especially in the way her characters use language.

Twelfth Night by Alexene Farol Follmuth – I was inordinately tickled by this sweet YA novel about a geek girl and an athlete boy accidentally falling for each other thanks to a video game. Yes, the story draws inspiration from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, but it's also got a lot of heart of its own. 


HONORABLE MENTIONS

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange – Again, I feel like I should have been more engaged in this than I was. I was riveted during the first part, which follows an early generation of the family featured throughout the novel, a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre. But then the book starts skipping through time very fast, and I didn't get a chance to get attached to subsequent generations. 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – A narratively implausible (and I don't even mean in terms of the octopus) but very sweet story of human (and cephalopod) connection. 

The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill – Another quite on the nose parable from Kelly Barnhill. I bounced off of When Women Were Dragons and just couldn't finish it, but I found this one sweet.


A BELOVED RE-READ

All Systems Red by Martha Wells – I finally started watching the Murderbot show (was a little worried whether the show would do the books justice, but a friend whose judgment I trust told me to give it a try) and now I am deeply obsessed. I told myself don't start a re-read of the complete book series, don't start a re-read of the complete book series...and then I almost immediately started a re-read of the complete book series.

Hello!

General notes: I’m starfishstar on AO3 and on DW. I'm easy to please! If you love these characters, then I know I'll love whatever you choose to write/create about them. <3

Likes: A focus on character interactions, be that friendship or romance or family. Found family dynamics. Humor and banter. UST (all the UST) as long as it resolves by the end. Happy or hopeful endings: angst and complexity are fine – I like stories that are realistic! – but I do need at least some degree of hope.

DNW: Just the big ones: please no major character death, non-con/dub-con, or graphic violence.

Fandoms:


( Graceling Realm )
( Call Me By Your Name )
( Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries )
( Boyfriend Material )
( Seraphina )
( Cabin Pressure )
( Torchwood )
( Fire Island )
( Harry Potter )
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Ha ha, whoops, did I say I would post again soon? Well, that was January, and now it's May, and anyway here's a little bit about the books I read in 2023...

( Books in 2023! )

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Dear Yuletide writer, thank you for writing for me! (And apologies for the lateness of this letter!)


General notes: I’m starfishstar on AO3 and on DW.

Likes: A focus on character interactions, be that friendship or romance or family. Found family dynamics. Humor and banter. UST (all the UST) as long as it resolves by the end. Happy or hopeful endings (angst and complexity are fine – I like stories that are realistic! – but I do need at least a degree of hope). I'm generally not looking for PWP, but I'm not going to make that a hard DNW this year, just a preference (as in, I'd prefer things other than pure smut). :-) I especially have a soft spot for what I'll term "crack treated seriously" – a premise that sounds ridiculous, but then is treated with such earnestness and emotional depth that it somehow really works.

DNW: I think just the big ones: please no major character death, non-con/dub-con, or graphic violence. 

Treats: Yes, please! I have the option for receiving treats enabled on AO3.


FANDOMS:
(listed alphabetically)


( Boyfriend Material - Alexis Hall )




( CatNet Series - Naomi Kritzer )


( Darius the Great Series - Adib Khorram )


( Fire Island (2022) )




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Fandom: Cabin Pressure

Summary:

Arthur has just found out that Martin is Jewish! And that today is a Jewish holiday!!

Clearly, it's time for the dauntless Cabin Pressure crew to celebrate...no matter that they're currently midair somewhere above the Pacific Ocean.

Characters: Arthur Shappey, Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, Martin Crieff, Douglas Richardson

Words: 1,400

Notes: For yishaqeni for Purimgifts 2023.

Dear yishaqeni, your Cabin Pressure prompts were so marvelous that they absolutely required a fic in response. I hope you enjoy! Chag Purim sameach. :-)

Additional notes as I'm posting this on Dreamwidth:

Believe it or not, despite being the most massive fan, I've never written a Cabin Pressure fic before! The brilliant John Finnemore is such a hard act to follow, so I never felt the urge. But then in this year's Purimgifts sign-ups, someone gave the most marvelous prompts about the MJN crew celebrating Purim. So I wrote this as a Purimgifts treat.


Read on AO3, or here below:

( Pago Pago )
 
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Oh, hey, it's almost March 2023... Here's my post about the books I read in 2022. (A post that I mostly wrote at the end of 2022...and then didn't manage to finish until now.)

 

( Books in 2022! )

Continuing this year's general tenor of "I wrote this months ago but never got it together to crosspost it here"...

Also, since it can't be stated too often: I utterly reject J.K. Rowling, her transphobia, and her choice to use her enormous platform to trumpet said transphobia. I won't let her take away these characters who have brought joy into my life for so long, but I in no way support her as a person, author, or public figure. And I *more* than understand those who've chosen to go the other way, and no longer engage with HP fandom at all. Take care of yourselves out there, friends.



A VERB STRONG ENOUGH

Fandom: Harry Potter

Summary: Amidst the wreckage of unfathomable loss, Andromeda forces herself to grasp hold of gratitude for what was and what still will be.

Characters: Andromeda

Words: 500


Read here below or on AO3.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

( A Verb Strong Enough )

 

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Fandom: Hamster Princess series by Ursula Vernon

Summary: Harriet and Mumfrey solve the riddle of a squirrel, a gerblin (that’s a goblin that looks like a gerbil) and some magical Purim noisemakers.

Characters: Harriet Hamsterbone, Mumfrey, original squirrel character, other original rodent characters

Words: 2,550

Notes: For kitsune_scribe for Purimgifts 2022.

Chag sameach, Kitsune_Scribe! I was delighted to get your request for Hamster Princess, which is such a great fit for Purim. (Spunky princess hero! Silliness and fun!) Thanks for giving me the opportunity to play with Harriet and folklore. (Notes on sources at the end.)


Read on AO3, or here below:




( The Silly Squirrel and the Gerblin )

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Fandom: Fleabag

Summary: A small thing in response to this wonderful prompt: "IS THE FOX MAGIC? Please say."

Characters: Foxes, Priest, Fleabag

Words: 100

Notes: For syllic, Yuletide 2021.


Read on AO3, or here below:




ONE FOX


One fox, nose to the ground. Searching? Yes.

But not for a scent; searching for a trail of magic.

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Two foxes meet in a park, confer. Did he go that way? No. That way.

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Nine foxes converge beneath a window. Their quarry is inside, but not alone. Why must humans have so many emotions? It muddles the trail.

Eight foxes skulk away, one keeps watch.

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Their quarry trails magic behind him; they’d like to learn his powers. But he always runs.

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One fox pauses at a bus stop. A human points. The trail is strong now.

One fox goes on.

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Fandom: Call Me By Your Name

Summary: Seven years later, in New York, in the midst of a blizzard, Oliver finally lets his feelings take the fore. It isn’t easy. (But it’s worth it.)

Characters: Oliver/Elio

Words: 7,600

Notes: A Yuletide treat for asuralucier; here are the notes I wrote at the time –


Hello again, asuralucier :-) I was a bit sad that I didn’t manage to write you a fic last Yuletide, because I liked the streak we had going! But this idea stuck with me ever since; I tried to finish it for the New Year’s Resolution collection, but didn’t manage even that… So, here, have a Yuletide 2020 gift as a 2021 Madness treat. :D

This fic is loosely/thematically inspired by “With the color of its thoughts” by asuralucier, but takes somewhat different headcanons as a starting point.     

Thank you very much to timkon for beta reading.     


Read this fic on AO3, or here below:


( Storm Hits the City and the Lights Go Out )

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