I can’t believe 2023 is not even three weeks away. How is that possible?
Writing update
I’m doing final revisions before I pass book 3 of The Lyra Cycle off to the beta reader … sometimes I want to curse past self, but the hardest revising is done. I guess I need to come up with a title soon. Again, seriously past self, why did you decide to set a precedent of long titles with a certain pattern for this series?
Filling the creative well
Now that I’m on Substack, I’m checking out some of the other newsletters. I recently read an edition of Dirtbags Through The Ages — if, like me, you love biographies of quirky people in places you don’t expect to find them, can I recommend checking it out? Lola Montez certainly qualifies.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to like that ‘stack. Part of me feels like Sylvia Brett (as told in Sylvia, Queen of the Headhunters) would make a good subject, though maybe she doesn’t have enough redeeming qualities to fit in.
What I’m reading watching
I also recently broke down and signed up for Disney+. Andor is what finally did it … though I haven’t started watching it yet. I’m currently working my way through the first two seasons of The Mandalorian. There seems to enough lore for the super fans but it’s still accessible to the casual fans and newbies. I loved the scene with the two storm troppers, taking pot shots while waiting around.
Books for your TBR list…?
I actually don’t have any books for your list … I want books for mine! With 2023 just around the corner, do you have any suggestions? Books on your own 2023 TBR list? The best books you read this year?
So far I have (in no particular order):
Station Eternity — a space cozy mystery (lent to me)
Gideon the Ninth — this has been on my physical TBR shelf for too long
Bittersweet — a book about the importance of sorrow and longing by the author of Quiet (also lent to me)
An Edible History of Humanity — food + history, what more could you ask for?
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy — if I don’t inhale this over the year-end holiday
The Mountain in the Sea — you had me at hyperintelligent octopuses
A Desolation Called Peace — I loved the worldbuilding in A Memory Called Empire
I’m not a fast reader so that might take a while, especially since I have to keep writing too. And I’ll probably be distracted by some unexpected book part way through. But any suggestions for me? Add them in the comments.
Happy reading!
— CR