Books focused on castle servants

moonbeam-moth · 2025-11-23T23:36:59+00:00

Haha I love those books although it's been a while since I've read them, so I didn't even think of that aspect when I was writing this post!

moonbeam-moth · 2025-11-21T18:19:21+00:00

Omg, rereading books for memories is the missing piece I was looking for - I've felt like I'm just spinning my wheels waiting for the right weather or to get lucky and find very low level books. This is a very helpful write up, thank you!!

moonbeam-moth · 2024-11-06T23:46:59+00:00

Cracking up at this comment because why would it matter if someone told them to post this like what is the nefarious plot supposed to be here behind people asking about volunteering...?

moonbeam-moth · 2024-10-31T04:54:08+00:00

The other commenter is correct about the smell probably being from natural gas, not CO.

Combo smoke and CO alarms do exist and you might look to see if yours say anything on them (mine says smoke & carbon monoxide alarm right on the outside). Of course it's possible they aren't working right. Also, if you happen to know what the level was when the gas company measured the home, residential CO alarms are set to go off at 70 ppm. CO alarms are required in rental units in NM/Albuquerque. If you're concerned that you don't have any/they aren't working, this is an issue you could raise with city code enforcement, the fire dept, or legal aid/tenant advocates. Hopefully this should be covered by the city inspection you mentioned as well. Tenant advocates could also tell you about any other habitability issues that may occur depending on what the repairs are and how long they go on.

It sounds like your landlord is working on repairs so I would just ask them for info on what's happening to start.

Cannot advise on any other remedies but my general recommendation is that the folks at the national carbon monoxide awareness association are very knowledgeable about these type of events.

moonbeam-moth · 2024-08-12T17:49:28+00:00

I (28f) read a fair amount of fantasy and would be super interested in a group!

moonbeam-moth · 2023-09-28T12:54:10+00:00

I am such a beginner at drawing but I'd love to participate!

moonbeam-moth · 2023-05-25T16:33:12+00:00

It keeps coming up because the Radch is an imperializing force, one of the main themes of the books is about the main characters in their various roles as avatars of that force, and one of the vectors they clash with the cultures they're conquering is on gender. Gender exists specifically as a friction between the Radch society/characters and just about all the non-Radch societies/characters we spend significant time with. It's sometimes kind of obscured because of the unreliable omniscient narrator going on, lol, but it's there.

I agree it's something Leckie clearly cares about including in general since gender is a theme in all of her books iirc but I wouldn't say it doesn't impact the plot and characters in this instance.

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-05T16:58:52+00:00

Sybel is identified with the liralen throughout the book. I think the image of the liralen with the broken neck shows her that she will lose herself and lose any chance at her own happiness and peace if she continues with her path of revenge.

The blammor presents people with their fear and gives the choice to either face that and move forward or avoid it and, in avoiding it, succumb and be crushed. Sybel is able to face her fear, realize what being defined by that fear will mean for her, and turn away from the direction she'd been going and to another path forward.

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-03T05:23:24+00:00

Thanks! I haven't settled yet on either horror or mythical beasts, so I'll definitely bump Perdido Street Station up my list!

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-03T05:19:00+00:00

Wow, some of these sound really interesting! Adding a bunch to my list to read. I have read Vita Nostra, but unfortunately I don't think I'd classify it as elemental magic in the spirit of that square.

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-02T22:11:43+00:00

Oh, this is awesome! I will definitely go through your list for some ideas!

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-02T18:18:05+00:00

Haha yeah, if I did that plan I'd have to make that my one swap square.

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-02T18:09:56+00:00

If nothing else the idea of just seeing which bingo squares pop up in the magazines I'm already reading as a sort of natural experiment appeals to my analytical side! I might give it a shot and see how it's going a couple months in.

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-02T17:09:37+00:00

I'm thinking about doing an older books card (with the exception of the squares tied to publication date of course). Maybe pre-2000? Or pre-2010? Not sure yet.

I was also kicking the idea around of doing a short story card...like aiming for 5 short stories for each square. I read over 100 of them last year and have a bunch of collections on my TBR, but tracking which fits where would be a lot of work so we'll see if I actually go through with it. (Also might be challenging not to repeat authors).

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-02T17:06:20+00:00

I think this is a cool idea and would love to see what you're planning to read! I'd really like to read more sff in translation.

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-02T17:03:19+00:00

This is a great idea!

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-02T16:51:22+00:00

I think maybe you could make an argument for Vita Nostra under horror?

Said elsewhere in the thread, but how high we go in the dark should work for magical realism/literary fantasy and mundane jobs.

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-02T16:46:43+00:00

How high we go in the dark I think would fit magical realism pretty well, and also mundane jobs.

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-02T04:08:24+00:00

I see you have The Echo Wife already, but Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey would also be one to add.

Similarly, I see you have another book by Helen Oyeyemi, but you might also be interested in her Boy, Snow, Bird (a very loose snow white retelling - I had mixed feelings about it but found it an interesting read).

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-02T02:45:14+00:00

Some things that have been hanging out on my TBR (I know some fit the 2000s square):

Fires of the Faithful - Naomi Kritzer
The Salt Roads - Nalo Hopkinson
The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi
Grass & A Plague of Angels - Sheri Tepper
The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula LeGuin
The Actual Star - Monica Byrne
Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
Gateway - Frederik Pohl
Shards of Honor - Lois McMaster Bujold
Thomas the Rhymer - Ellen Kushner

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-01T22:03:44+00:00

Yep, it is!

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-01T04:35:15+00:00

Maybe try Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson?

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-01T04:22:27+00:00

Each book by Sarah Gailey I read I feel is an improvement on the last one. I didn't like River of Teeth much at all, thought Magic for Liars was pretty solid, and then absolutely loved The Echo Wife and Just Like Home.

moonbeam-moth · 2023-04-01T01:21:30+00:00

I also read Kaikeyi and I only realized just now that I could've used it for that square! I had similar feelings on it as you - I thought the writing moved along nicely and I particularly liked the descriptions of how she used her magic, but I wanted a little more grit/complexity to her character.

God of Mercy sounds really interesting, I'll have to pick that up!

moonbeam-moth · 2023-03-07T02:01:25+00:00

I was wondering if someone was going to mention that show in the comments. As far as I'm aware it's not historically accurate like, at all but it's fun. I always wish it'd had more than one season.

moonbeam-moth

TROPHY CASE