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Sons and Ones
Jan. 23rd, 2026 09:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearSon of Sin by Omar Sakr is a queer Muslim coming-of-age story, following Jamal, who is raised in an abusive household, constantly terrified of all the sins his family warns him about committing. It tracks his late adolescence and early adulthood, as he travels to various parts of the world, seeking a family connection and a potential relationship with several other young men.
It's beautifully written, though the poetic prose is interspersed with quite a lot of swearing, explicit sexual content and crudeness, which is a bit odd. It's also relentlessly depressing, with Jamal continually facing rejection, violence, and homophobia. It did keep me reading, but I didn't hold out much hope for any kind of positive ending. The final image of the book will definitely stay with me - and not in a good way.
The One by John Marrs is a near-future thriller about a world where scientists have discovered a gene that connects each person to their perfect romantic match. It's split into five completely separate narratives, following different people's lives as they are affected in various ways by being matched. It's entertaining and pulled me along effectively - but it was also pretty disappointing in terms of lack of diversity amongst the protagonists (all under 40, attractive, able-bodied, white, and ostensibly straight). There was also some repetition of plot points across more than one story, and the directions each thread took were less interesting than some of the reported instances of matches gone wrong that are mentioned along the way. So, it was a fun enough listen, but didn't make as much of the premise as it could have done.
It's beautifully written, though the poetic prose is interspersed with quite a lot of swearing, explicit sexual content and crudeness, which is a bit odd. It's also relentlessly depressing, with Jamal continually facing rejection, violence, and homophobia. It did keep me reading, but I didn't hold out much hope for any kind of positive ending. The final image of the book will definitely stay with me - and not in a good way.
The One by John Marrs is a near-future thriller about a world where scientists have discovered a gene that connects each person to their perfect romantic match. It's split into five completely separate narratives, following different people's lives as they are affected in various ways by being matched. It's entertaining and pulled me along effectively - but it was also pretty disappointing in terms of lack of diversity amongst the protagonists (all under 40, attractive, able-bodied, white, and ostensibly straight). There was also some repetition of plot points across more than one story, and the directions each thread took were less interesting than some of the reported instances of matches gone wrong that are mentioned along the way. So, it was a fun enough listen, but didn't make as much of the premise as it could have done.
Perfervid Antagonism
Jan. 23rd, 2026 10:54 pmmagnavox_23I am having a sense of saudade at there never being the possibility of someone writing bad fic where Jack invites Daniel over to watch this new hockey show everyone is excited about, and then they find out exactly why…
…rated explicit, natch.
Also, don’t invent naughty hockey games over messenger involving sack tapping a puck on the ice.
…rated explicit, natch.
Also, don’t invent naughty hockey games over messenger involving sack tapping a puck on the ice.
The Book of Elsewhere
Jan. 21st, 2026 09:17 amalobearI heard about The Book of Elsewhere when it came out and was intrigued because it's by China Mieville, one of my favourite authors, and Keanu Reeves, one of my favourite actors. But I also heard it was terrible - and I think I tried listening to the audiobook and only got a few pages in before giving up.
But my brother gave it to me for Christmas and I decided to give it another chance!
The first 30 pages or so were almost unreadable and largely incomprehensible (though each new short section was somehow terrible in a different way, which was pretty impressive). But then, around pg 35, the first female character was introduced, along with a long scene of perfectly credible dialogue and reasonably readable prose - and I was hooked. Some of the writing was still a bit tortured in places, but either that disappeared over time, or I just got used to it - because the rest of the book was awesome!
It's possible the forces in the book invaded my brain and influenced me (in the same way they do with some of the characters), and I'll later come to my senses and decide the book was terrible after all - but just after finishing it, it's definitely my first five-star read of 2026!
It's about a man who comes back every time he dies, and the various people who either want to study him or kill him outright, as well as his own struggles with the nature of his existence. It's very violent and gory (which is not usually something I like but which didn't bother me here - more evidence of paranormal activity, I feel...) but also has a lot of depth and layers. There were multiple characters I got invested in and attached to - and the sections charting bits of Unute's history over the centuries were varied and interesting in showing his impact on the world.
It did unravel a bit towards the end, when it got rather over-complicated and a bit silly in some ways - but I was very much along for the ride by that point and just went with it.
So, a very surprising about-turn for a book I wasn't sure I'd be able to get through! But I can't think of anyone I'd be able to genuinely recommend it to...
But my brother gave it to me for Christmas and I decided to give it another chance!
The first 30 pages or so were almost unreadable and largely incomprehensible (though each new short section was somehow terrible in a different way, which was pretty impressive). But then, around pg 35, the first female character was introduced, along with a long scene of perfectly credible dialogue and reasonably readable prose - and I was hooked. Some of the writing was still a bit tortured in places, but either that disappeared over time, or I just got used to it - because the rest of the book was awesome!
It's possible the forces in the book invaded my brain and influenced me (in the same way they do with some of the characters), and I'll later come to my senses and decide the book was terrible after all - but just after finishing it, it's definitely my first five-star read of 2026!
It's about a man who comes back every time he dies, and the various people who either want to study him or kill him outright, as well as his own struggles with the nature of his existence. It's very violent and gory (which is not usually something I like but which didn't bother me here - more evidence of paranormal activity, I feel...) but also has a lot of depth and layers. There were multiple characters I got invested in and attached to - and the sections charting bits of Unute's history over the centuries were varied and interesting in showing his impact on the world.
It did unravel a bit towards the end, when it got rather over-complicated and a bit silly in some ways - but I was very much along for the ride by that point and just went with it.
So, a very surprising about-turn for a book I wasn't sure I'd be able to get through! But I can't think of anyone I'd be able to genuinely recommend it to...
Midsummer garden
Jan. 21st, 2026 07:56 pmmificMore pics from the garden - mostly flowers this time with everything in full bloom other than the roses, which are in between. These were taken a few days ago before solid rain set in, so what with a planned power cut 8am-6pm today for maintenance work, a quiet day today. Went for a moderate drive to get lunch out (excellent sushi) and charge my car battery, and now the power's back in time to download a bunch of fics to survive AO3 being down for way too long. I'm feeling virtuous as I made a rice cooker full of bean, veggie, chicken & chilli stew. Very tasty.
I'm still marinating in Heated Rivalry everything and it's helped with creating in other fandoms - an SGA and a due South secret Santa fic in late Dec and several SGA ones more recently for another exchange (will be unanoned soon). Gave myself for-real goddamn eyestrain from too much screen time reading and scrolling tumblr - inflamed, watering eyes, blurred vision, the whole nine yards. I'm being marginally more sensible about breaking up screen time with other activities now and that's resolved it, thank goodness. Too wet to garden, but. Anyway, garden pics follow, and here's hoping you're all doing okay! (Click through for large size)
( Read more... )
I'm still marinating in Heated Rivalry everything and it's helped with creating in other fandoms - an SGA and a due South secret Santa fic in late Dec and several SGA ones more recently for another exchange (will be unanoned soon). Gave myself for-real goddamn eyestrain from too much screen time reading and scrolling tumblr - inflamed, watering eyes, blurred vision, the whole nine yards. I'm being marginally more sensible about breaking up screen time with other activities now and that's resolved it, thank goodness. Too wet to garden, but. Anyway, garden pics follow, and here's hoping you're all doing okay! (Click through for large size)
( Read more... )
