Perfect weekend read. “[the USA is] the constitutional descendant of Rome ... inherited both the tremendous structural strengths that allowed the Roman Republic to thrive for so long and some of the same structural weaknesses...makes it vital for all of us to understand how Rome‘s republic worked, what it achieved, and why, after nearly five centuries, its citizens ultimately turned away from it and toward the autocracy”

The orange tabs are locations of outrageously sexist, racist, classist, or anti-democratic statements—and I‘m only 1/4 of the way through.

And then there is this nonsense. 🙄 #education #classicaleducation

Mostly I‘m hate-reading this book, but every now and then, I come across a gem. #education #classicaleducation

Meh. To me, essentially, this was a story about living in a family with mental illness, and the escape that going away for college can bring. The author has a gift for description, certainly, but having experienced many of these things in my own life, it was not revelatory. I think, however, that a swell of anti-homeschooling bias will come in its wake, even though correlation =\= causation.

My turn came up at the library! #memoir #awardwinner

I‘m trying to read a paper book, but it‘s tough to find the time. Also, I‘m torn between nodding my head, and rolling my eyes. I‘m sticking with it, though. #classicaleducation

This book was just so much fun! Light-hearted, laughter-filled, opposites attract. There‘s something joyous in reading about “regular people” fall in love. #romantsy #contemporary

“To know is not synonymous with to do; but we should not leave our young people to stumble on right action without any guiding philosophy of life; the risks are too great.…”

I got bored about 60% of the way through. Endless war is not my bag, and even the interesting magic system and historical fiction aspect could make up for it. #fantasy #YA

I‘m hate-reading this, at this point. #homeschool #secularhomeschool #charlottemason #classicaleducation

Sound familiar? “The Keju doesn‘t mean anything,” Rin said scathingly. “The Keju is a ruse to keep uneducated peasants right where they‘ve always been. You slip past the Keju, they‘ll find a way to expel you anyway. The Keju keeps the lower classes sedated. It keeps us dreaming. It‘s not a ladder for mobility; it‘s a way to keep people like me exactly where they were born. The Keju is a drug.”

Another winner from Aaronovitch! #fantasy #procedural

I‘m looking forward to this one! #fantasy

What a difference 36 years makes in our perception of refugees. I impulsively re-read this the other night, and like all good literature, it spoke to me differently than it did the first time I read it. #scifi

It was well-written, with an interesting premise, but just not my thing. Sprawling, complex cast of characters, intricate relationships (albeit a bit predictable). Like if The Godfather movies were a #fantasy novel. World Fantasy Award Winner

I get great books from the library, but I do read them? No, I let my attention be caught by this pricey book. No mention of “classical education,” but the classical ed techniques are used: “After discussing certain key concepts, the professor asked students to write their own summaries, restating the concepts in their own words and giving examples.”

Reading for a F2F book club. Not sure I want to finish. The child abuse is sickening. “Brümmer would appear in the dining room and threaten to punish his pupil ... The frightened boy ... would leave the table, vomiting. Thereupon, his master would order that he be given no food ... the hungry child would ... stand [at meals] with a picture of a donkey hung around his neck... routinely beat ... with a whip and made him kneel...on hard, dried peas”

My turn came up at the library this morning! I put myself on the list solely on the awards it‘s won, so I know nothing about it.

I bought this as $3 Kindle deal on the basis of all the awards it had received. I read the first little bit, but I‘m not sure I‘m going like it. It seems very noir and I‘m not into that.

I cannot count the ways in which I love this book. Frankly, I thought Uprooted was meh, but this book is fantastic, subverting tropes left and right, with glorious descriptions, powerful women, and the creatures who love them. #romantsy #fantasy

I picked this up because I really liked his book The Swerve. I found it difficult to read both because it was dense literate writing, and because the history was so full of virulent misogyny that I had to set it down repeatedly. I learned about the origin of the idea of original sin, which was news to me. I also learned a lot about medieval and Renaissance depictions of Adam and Eve.

This, to me, was not one of Scalzi‘s better books. I kept getting bored. I think it works best as a climate change allegory, with a side of political commentary on imperialism, capitalism, intelligentsia, scientists, historiography, and responsibility. As most good sci-fi does.

Looking forward to this book tonight!

They ID 6 trends: political polarization; adolescent depression & anxiety rates; high-intensity parenting; play & risk deprivation; campus bureaucracy; and a “commitment to attaining “equal outcomes” in all areas.” They make some good points, even if I don‘t agree with all of their arguments. Worth a read.

Really, it‘s interesting to read Oluo (So You Want to Talk About Race, in yellow) and Haidt & Lukianoff (in blue) right next to each other.

It‘s interesting to read Oluo (So You Want to Talk About Race) back to back with Haidt & Lukianoff. They see the world differently.

This seemed apropos tonight.

It was tightly-plotted, but I didn‘t like the first person POV, or the short, choppy sentences. They do make an easy read, so I think that will help it sell well. I‘m tired of reading about teenagers. I‘m unsure how I feel about Charlaine Harris writing characters who are people of color in Mexico, even in alternate histories—racism was strictly confined to Dixie, and no Native Americans existed.

So did I read any more of my “good” books last night? No, no I did not. Instead, I read the sweetest, fluffiest #hockey player #romance from #kindle #self-pub #mm #romantsy where there are safe spaces, happy families, good friends, good food, happy holidays. Obviously, the fantasy level is high! 😂

A satisfying conclusion to the series. #sciencefiction #scifi #murderbot

I have an embarrassment of riches on my Kindle today, but I think I‘m going with Exit Strategy tonight. Keeping ahead of DD in this series!

This book reads like The Dummies Guide to Not Being a Racist. She very patiently walks you through some obvious (and not so obvious) issues. I‘m white, and I was born, raised, and live in one of the whitest states in the USA. I don‘t have any close friends of color, and even if I did, I know enough to know that I can‘t lean on them to educate me. I‘m so glad I read this book.

Still loving this book! Articulating the systemic problem with micro-aggressions is not something that ever occurred to me. Learning so much!

Pg. 90 I learn something every day. So far she‘s discussed race, racism, talking about racism, structural racism, privilege, intersectionality. This chapter is on the unique role of the police force in the USA. #nonfiction #librarybook

I‘m only on page 50, and I‘m already so happy my turn came up on this #library book! #racism in the USA

I‘m actually reviewing the sequel—Untouchable—but it‘s not in the database. Another beautiful book from Hibbert. She has a gift for characterization. The main characters are uniquely flawed humans and their flaws make them real. She also manages to turn the nanny trope on its head.

This book is not in the database, but is the sequel. I put off reading it because I got it confused with another book series by a different author that I didn‘t like. 🤷🏻‍♀️ That said, I enjoy this author‘s writing style, and the British setting. #romantsy #ownvoices

My turn came at the library, but I‘m honestly not sure I want to commit to this.

To reward myself last night after my virtual desk of “papers” was all “graded”, my email inbox was cleared, my courses were all prepped & distributed for the next two weeks, my book edits were back to the editor, my house was cleanish, food was in the kitchen, & the checking account was reconciled, I picked up Sarina Bowen‘s latest. #romantsy #teachersofLitsy

While #audiobooks are not equivalent to reading is a hill I‘m willing to die on, I don‘t eschew audio entirely. In the four hours I spent in the car yesterday, I listened to a good deal of my favorite #podcast #PhilosophizeThis and discovered Simone de Beauvoir. Any woman who characterizes self-actualization as selfishness unless you‘re working for others‘ freedom is someone I can admire! #philosophy

So instead of the intricately plotted book, I read a grim dark romance novella. It was surprisingly good, though not free. I‘m giving up my #Kindle Unlimited #KU both because there is so much crap, but also personal financial reasons. #romantsy #grimdark #novella

Very meh. Cyberpunk shading into biopunk, with a hefty helping of dystopia, Newitz wields consent like a hammer. It‘s painful to read. Nothing in the book is original enough to make Newitz‘s nightmare world worth the lack of emotional reward. I need some kind of emotional payoff at the end of a book, because otherwise all I‘ve done is depress myself. Here, bad stuff happens to good people, and there‘s no recourse because capitalism is a trap.

Original concept, quality writing. I got bored with all the car racing bits, but I can honestly say that I didn‘t see all the plot twists coming. Good characterization! Space opera + magic + QUILTBAG & POC representation

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. Yes, it‘s a romance, and yes, it‘s predictable—but these books are about the journey, not the destination. I loved reading the fresh voice, and the nontypical characters. #romantsy #contemporary #ownvoices

I‘m super excited about this one! My turn came up at the library. Three more classes of papers to grade, and I can dig in!!

I think it might have gotten a little too impressed with its own cleverness by the end, but it was still a good read. I noticed it was published by Angry Robot, and I think I must be a fan of the editor at Angry Robot, because I like nearly everything they pick up.

I‘m a sucker for the grizzled veteran underdogs. Apparently I‘m on a space opera kick lately.

I‘ve been a Tim Pratt fan for years. This is book two in a lighter series than his Marla Mason novels. Strong female characters + space opera + humor + aliens. If the Expanse was fun, and the women not angst-ridden, and the endings were satisfying.

“The issue of a revised edition of the translation of The Consolation of Philosophy has enabled me to correct mistakes, improve the wording of one or two passages and take account of recent work on Boethius and his age.” In 1999, no one said, “Gee, is this the best word choice?” Somehow I don‘t think Emily Wilson would have translated it like that. Representation matters!