(no subject)

[valkryor]

One good thing about keeping track of one's reading is noting when it slows way down. Because of the weather and the construction and the cat (who is still peeing on the floor - I now think it's in protest of the construction noise which I can do NOTHING about), my brain is eating myself. I'm heading into a 'meh' phase where reading is not a thing that holds my attention for longer than fifteen minutes. I did finish Memory Called Empire and really enjoyed it, but picking up another book right now, whether dead tree or electronic, isn't doing anything for me right now.

To that end, I started catching up on some of the Netflix shows that I am seriously behind in that I can't watch when Declan is around for various reasons (and one or two seasons adds up over multiple shows). I've started with season 4 of Castlevania because a) each episode is less than 30 minutes, b) it's fucking great, and c) did I mention it's fucking great? The first season is four episodes, roughly movie-length when binged all at once, Trevor Belmont is deeply cynical and fucking tired and I just identify with him so much, it's gory and visceral and gorgeously animated, and it never feels like the video game it's based on.

Comments

[rhoste]

The amount of Miles on that reading list makes me very happy, especially since I *think* I'm the person who turned clawfoot on to them :-)

I started to read Memory Called Empire but couldn't get into it at all. I think it was a little too geopolitics at the start and I wasn't in the mood at all. The concept was interesting though, so I may try again.

[valkryor]

You ARE. That's all your fault. ALL OF IT. ;)

Memory Called Empire is rather dense and incredibly political, but what I found the biggest stumbling block is the cultural stuff. I am not all that up on my Aztec history and I found some of the naming conventions confusing mouthfuls, which made parts a bit jarring for me.

(I also understand that that is on me, that I lack enough base knowledge to not stumble over those particular blocks. I still enjoyed the read, though, because it was not a culture/history that I am intimately familiar with.)

[rhoste]

You're welcome :-)

The naming conventions were confusing to me too, although I have reached a point with sci-fi/fantasy naming that I just sort of let my eyes pass over anyone who seems to be a minor character (until, of course, they aren't).

[valkryor]

I often try to decipher it at first or second pass, but if I can't make my brain make sense of it, I substitute it with 'person who did the thing' or 'name of x-people who live in y-place'. It certainly cuts down on the frustration overall.