I'm fairly sure that the Welsh guy complaining of the way the English treat the Welsh is going to turn out to be the bad guy here, for all that his words are portrayed as sounding reasonable. I'm getting very very uncomfortable.

It's also definitely a look to have a Victorian clergyman's daughter visit Wales and complain about Welsh people not being religious, given Brad y Llyfrau Gleision was 1847.

Welp, a character just got announced as “Arthur, Prince of Gwynedd“, and... this is a definite choice. This might be where I depart from this series, depending on how things go. Who knows, maybe it'll be amazing and not weird about “Wild Wales“ (quote) in a book set in the Victorian period, but I'm bracing to be severely exoticised and, thanks, I hate it.

Ohhh this autopsy scene is very un-classic. Which makes sense, this is from the 60s and about the outside of this series' usual range, but I was not expecting it in a British Library Crime Classic. Much more like a precursor of the modern police procedural type stuff; Rankin, McDermid, etc. Not my comfort zone at all.

I'll have to give my ultimate rating some thought, but it felt like it just kind of fizzled out. Even given it's mostly about the robots finding a cosy found family, and not about the world it's set against, the pace suddenly accelerated to smooth everything out in a handful of pages at the end.

Yay, it's #BookSpinBingo time! I guess the colours are a bit autumnal, but I always pick them out of the palette of the #BookSpin choice... which this time is the fourth book of a series where the third was also on the list. Oh noes!

And finished! Note: I received this via Netgalley, with the expectation that I would review it.

Aaaand I've gobbled it up so quickly (sort of makes sense for a book about famine). It made me realise I don't remember the first couple of books in the series super well, and that makes me tempted to reread. This one's a harsh one, a sad and hungry one. It does well at that.

It was not a great month for reading (by my standards). I can see the impact of my assignments here pretty starkly laid out (albeit slightly camouflaged by the days where I read a few manga). The reading genuinely picked up on the 20th, and I've been steadily settling into reading for much bigger proportions of the day. It's a relief; I don't feel like me when I'm not reading!

Cute. It's very “cosy fantasy“, with very little drama, limited miscommunications, easily solved issues between the MCs. The worldbuilding doesn't go very deep.

All in all, a nice light read, but not one I'll be rhapsodising about, if that makes sense.

Yessss. I might even start reading it today, once I'm done with The Baby Dragon Cafe. Nghi Vo's an auto-read for me, especially the Singing Hills books.

Written my list for May already, for once! I have somewhat got my reading mojo back after a cascade of awful and stressful events, and I'm looking forward to plunging in.

#BookSpin

"I'll just read a chapter to get started," they said.

It's not particularly brilliantly different to other romances; it'd be basically the same story if it were a cafe for baby horses, in many ways. But it's light and fun and quick, so it's working for me right now.

I found this completely riveting. I read someone critiquing it because they said the very idea of “Sherlock Holmes in a fantasy world“ doesn't work, and I think that's to miss the point of what this is: it's a homage to the idea of Sherlock Holmes, but it is very much not a retelling, it's imagining how this fascinating, wild, awful fantasy world might grow that kind of intellect, and what it might be used for. The worldbuilding is amazing.

I am furious that I have to go to bed instead of reading more!

I've read 15 chapters so far and though I have stopped a couple of times along the way, I never actually wanted to. It's grabbing my attention even when I've generally found that my attention is fragmented and messed up (too much going on).

That was fun! Aelis still talks to herself too much and I keep losing track of the various types of magic etc etc, and the twist at a certain spot didn't surprise me much, but somehow... fun.

And finally, a #BookSpinBingo.

Some miscommunication/lack of communication stuff that drove me loopy, but mostly a dramatic and fitting ending for Aresh and Seiichirou, in which they both show full commitment to their relationship.

I'm keeping these light novels, I can see myself rereadigng them.

I didn't find this one terribly well-organised, not to give a particularly deep insight into some of the women it discusses. It does best with Christine de Pizan and Margery Kempe, but doesn't give us nearly as much of Marie de France or Julian of Norwich -- which, arguably there isn't that much info, but it does make things feel unbalanced.

This was interesting and clearly involved a lot of research, though I eventually found myself glazing over because it felt a bit repetitive. The problems with Spotify boil down to the same basics: remuneration of artists is poor, it's built to make money for the creators, it pivots at random to any metric where it can make the numbers go up, it's opaque...

Oh nooo, Aresh, that's going too far with a romantic gesture without discussing things properly. 🫣

But I am pleased that the controllingness seems somewhat... better? in the light novels? Maybe it just makes sense a bit more? I'm not sure.

I was a little worried that it'd be all the way to the end of the story before Seiichirou explicitly acknowledges Aresh's feelings (and his own), but nope! Which is kind of a relief. I loved the extra from Norbert's point of view, and the inclusion of Seiichirou's (unsent) letters to Aresh while he was away -- awwww.

I thought that the light novels might add quite a lot, but I always get surprised by how much detail a manga/manhua can pack in. There wasn't much added by reading the original light novel here, but I did enjoy it, and it does give a bit of an extra insight into Seiichirou's thoughts at some points.

In this volume, Aresh's controllingness is... there, but not so bad yet. We'll see I guess. I hear they eventually fight about it.

An indictment of the way we view entertainment as “content“ in general, but especially and specifically Spotify. I'd suggest Glenn McDonald's You Have Not Yet Heard Your Favourite Song had been written specifically to try to counteract it, if that hadn't come out first. Pelly's more conscientious about sources and ensuring what she writes is true and not just vibes, which gives her credibility.

I'm not always a fan of Anthony Berkeley, but this one was fun -- it was explicitly written for the audience to figure out, and the British Library reissue includes Berkeley's reports on the results of the contest. I wouldn't have won either, there was definitely a clue I didn't fully appreciate.

Used some bookshop.org store credit to get the light novels after learning the story isn't complete yet in the manga! And handed all my assignments in, finished last night, so time for a chill weekend and some time with these. 💙

Aresh, gah, Seiichirou is a grown man, you can't do this. I really wish this was seen as a bit more problematic by the story.

I'm still really curious how things are going to turn out, and I'm ordering the light novels, but I'm gonna have to be clear in my full-length reviews that there is definitely ick -- questionable consent (sex to save Seiichirou's life) and Aresh constraining Seiichirou's freedom for his own good.

Never sure if I'm finding the manga or light novel here on Litsy, there don't seem to be separate entries for all of them even if I search further. So this is for the manga!

The plot thickens in this volume. Sometimes it seems to be just about Aresh and Seiichirou, but I think Aresh is living in a romance novel and Seiichirou in an SF/F novel, in terms of how they view the relative importance of events.

Aresh still uncomfortably controlling. 😕

Ah yes, Aresh, such frivolity, so convincing.

I'm enjoying the story, but I do wish Aresh would communicate a bit more with Seiichirou. It's not like they don't talk at all, but I think Aresh should say “I like you“ and “I want to spend time with you“... and maybe be a BIT less controlling, even if it is to save his life.

I was a bit disappointed this month when my British Library Crime Classic subscription book arrived and... the free bookmark was totally bent.

Blessings to the person working for the British Library shop who read my sad “my free bookmark with this month's book was bent... can I pay you to ship me a spare? I collect them“ message and sent me... this many.

I love you, whoever you are. You made my day. 💙💙💙

I forgot to review this when I finished it! I think McDonald's enthusiasm about music, and pride in finding a wide array of music to try, is undeniable. His belief that streaming will be good for music and good for people, too, seems to be in good faith. It's hard to reconcile with the criticisms of services like Spotify -- I'm interested to read Liz Pelly's Mood Machine as a counterpoint.

Regardless, it was interesting.

Yeah, Aresh, that's my face too! (In response to Kundou's workaholism right after he nearly died).

So far it's difficult to know what to make of this series -- I trust no one, except Aresh. I enjoyed the first volume, but it depends where it goes, really!

Picked this up during the long (by British standards) car ride to Wales for my grandmother's funeral, and it definitely kept me occupied. I couldn't quite keep some of the characters straight, but it felt surprisingly like something that someone might write now, parodying the SF pulp era. Surprising small love: the (male) detective being very involved with his wife and child.

This was the #DoubleSpin! And this month's #BookSpinBingo card is made!

I wanted to read this as soon as I finished the first book, but then I didn't have a copy and stuff happened and I didn't get round to it. Taking me a minute to re-pick up some of the threads now, but I'm about 30% of the way through and enjoying it.

Glenn McDonald is one of the people who worked on Spotify's music discovery algorithms, and he has a lot of opinions about music and music discovery, and he has some back-of-the-napkin math about Spotify's payment systems, and right now I'm wishing he'd stick with the music discovery stuff and not try to dazzle me with math trying to justify Spotify's model, since he keeps saying he had nothing to do with the finances anyway.

Needed a break from my assignment, so here's my April list for #BookSpin.

I am starting to think I should provide myself more free spaces somehow, because I read easily enough books for a blackout in March (31 books), but struggled to make so much as a bingo because I am a creature of whim (and I burn out if I don't follow my whims). But I stuck to the normal script for now.

At the last possible second, I got myself a #BookSpinBingo!

This book was okay, but it feels very much the same as Maiklem's other mudlarking book, and sometimes it's really just autobiography -- there are (few, but notable) sections and entries not about mudlarking at all. That wasn't something I clicked with well.

Not too surprisingly, I enjoyed these retellings and stories in the mode of myth quite a bit. I like Marie Brennan's work and I like this genre, so... as expected, pretty much.

This was fascinating. It seems at the start like it's a series of unconnected stories, revolving around some weird sketched pictures. There are some surprising links, though -- I won't say more than that.

I ended up reading it all in one go.

This felt very much introductory, like a pilot episode. I liked it well enough so far, would be curious to read more.

I'm beginning to think this might be how my #BookSpinBingo card looks to close out the month. I've been struggling to read much and I don't think forcing myself to read these specific books is a good idea, though I've been certainly trying to bully myself. MADE myself sit down and read something not on the card today, and y'know, that went perfectly well.

Sigh. Brains, right?

I'm not a huge fan of Austen per se (have enjoyed reading her work, but it's not something I return to). But I am a huge fan of “x in y objects“, and I enjoyed it here. The introduction is a bit pretentious or at least scholarly, and can be skipped if you're just interested in the objects. (The introduction, 22 pages long, took me 15 minutes to read; the rest of the book, 167 pages, just 50 minutes.) It was pleasant as such books go.

There, all finished! There are aspects of it that feel like they could be streamlined (a particular mystery feels like it takes forever to solve given it's only a stepping stone on the way, and I'd solved it before the narrative condescended to get there), but I found myself sad when it was over. I'm glad I have a copy of Confounding Oaths (a loose sequel) out of the library ready to follow this. I love the narrative voice.

I stalled out on reading this for a bit because of life stuff, and also it didn't feel like the right mood for me at the time. Enjoying it a lot now; it's interesting how intrusive the narrator is and yet how easily you can forget it for a moment and narrow the focus to the character interactions.

I should have just 20 mins ish left to read (Kobo and Bookly's estimates vary widely)... but not sure if I'll have the time until late this evening. 😱

Argh, why is there no more?? Aiden, speak to Harvard properly! Bobby, get home to Dante, and if you're not dating, start! Seiji, I cannot believe you asked Aiden for that advice, but GO YOU.

I loved a lot about this volume, BUT I had JUST been praising that it was realistic that Nicholas doesn't instantly improve, and then it makes the timeline clear in this book and... that's total wish fulfillment, guys. 👀 No way.

Seiji and Nicholas are getting so close... in their own special way. Really cute.

I'm very curious how/when the secret about Nicholas' father is going to come out to the others, and how he'll react.

I'm gonna be so mad when the story just *stops* at the end of next volume, aren't I.

Ugh, I couldn't resist it, I grabbed the next volume. I LOVED the scenes with Seiji helping Nicholas learn to hit the tennis ball, it was so unexpected and awkward and yet so perfect.

Also, Bobby continues to be adorable, and I love that nothing at all is said about his gender non-conforming.

Still predictable, still love the art, still enjoy these idiots.

And now I've run out of volumes on Kobo Plus and need more. Wailing, gnashing teeth, etc etc.

Basically carries straight on from volume 2, and continues the same themes/trajectory -- if volume 1 didn't work for you, nor will volume 2. Just as I said in the review of the first volume, it's predictable -- I think I know how things will end up.

I did find myself shipping Harvard and Aiden incredibly. I mean they're also good as best friends, and I love that for them too. The way Aiden drops everything for Harvard? Cute.

I read this before but never got chance to move on to the other volumes. They're in Kobo Plus, though, or some of them are, so that prompted me to get back to it... meaning I needed to reread this.

I like the art; reminds me a bit of Jamie McKelvie's style in the cleanness of the lines (I say, as if I have art critic skills/knowledge at all). Plot-wise, it's fairly predictable, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

There! That was fun. Definitely one I'll recommend in future. I think at times it did focus on an individual TB patient to an extent that some might find bothersome (and verging into inspiration porn, right after discussing how that was a weird cultural thing that wasn't great), but I think it does also serve as a good illustration of some of Green's points. The science was accurate.

Loved that, like me, Green is fascinated by TB, and has OCD.

“We cannot address TB only with vaccines and medications We cannot address it only with comprehensive STP programs. We must also address the root cause of tuberculosis, which is injustice. In a world where everyone can eat, and access healthcare, and be treated humanely, tuberculosis has no chance. Ultimately, we are the cause.

We must also be the cure.“

☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

I'm with Green on a lot of this; he's clearly done his research. Currently up to his chapter criticising DOTS (directly observed therapy short-course) and YES, though I think he's conflating DOTS and DOT wrongly (DOTS was a global strategy to use directly observed therapy, which has long been superseded; DOT is still used as part of wider efforts). Don't agree with him that streptomycin caused the decline in TB infections/mortality though.