This week’s theme from Top Ten Tuesday is the fall TBR. I don’t particularly theme my reading plans, and I usually go by whim, but I usually have some idea of what’s tempting me… so let’s start there.

1. The Book at War, by Andrew Pettegree. Not the most uplifting book, perhaps, but it looks fascinating, discussing readers and libraries and how they’ve interacted (and been manipulated) during conflicts from the American Civil War onwards. I got it out of the library last week, so I should get to this soon.
2. Yellowface, by R.F. Kuang. I have a library hold on this book, so I’m fairly sure it’ll feature somewhere in my autumn reading. I haven’t actually read anything by R.F. Kuang yet, despite owning The Poppy War and Babel, but I keep getting tempted to give Yellowface a shot (even though it’s a bit outside my usual genres). And oops, now I check the Libby app, looks like it’s my turn!
3. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù. Having loved The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System and being perhaps even more enamoured with Heaven Official’s Blessing (with which I’m nearly finished), it’s inevitable that I’m going to move on to something else by MXTX soon. I’m ready to love Wei Wuxian, but I’ll miss Xie Lian. Technically, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation was her second webnovel, so I’ve perhaps read things in an odd order. That’s okay, though, they’re not connected.
4. The Mountain in the Sea, by Ray Nayler. My wife really enjoyed this one, and I enjoyed The Tusks of Extinction, so I’m very curious to give it a shot. I have it out of the library, which will also help move it up my list. Octopuses are fascinating, and after the recent disappointment of Remarkably Bright Creatures (which was fine, but not what I hoped for) I’d love something that grapples with the weirdness of an alien intelligence.
5. Deadly Earnest, by Joan Cockin. I got this one for my birthday, after I really enjoyed Curiosity Killed the Cat. Time to dig in, I think — I always love a classic mystery, after all.
6. A River Enchanted, by Rebecca Ross. Technically, I got partway through this earlier in the year, and then got distracted, but I think I’ll have to skim over the opening 100 pages again to get myself back into it. And there’s a sequel too, if I get round to this one.
7. A Sinister Revenge, by Deanna Raybourn. I didn’t love the last book in the series (because of the total lack of communication between them, mostly), but I’m hopeful that this book will get me back into it. I really hope so, because I enjoy Veronica and Stoker, and I want to enjoy their stories.
8. Bitter Waters, by Vivian Shaw. I was really excited to see that this novella had come out, and then I forgot about it and only remembered when I started looking through my TBR for this post! I love Greta Helsing and the world Shaw has built, the whole concept of a GP who treats monsters like vampires and ghouls, so I’m excited to dive back in via this novella. I might reread the rest of the series, too, because I adore it.
9. The Tomb of Dragons, by Katherine Addison. Most likely I’m going to reread all the books in this world, let’s be honest, but I’m so excited to dive into The Tomb of Dragons and see where Thara Celehar is now, after the events of the last book. And let’s face it, I really want to know if Iäna Pel-Thenhior is ever going to give him a hug.
10. The City in Glass, by Nghi Vo. This is actually due out soon, and I haven’t read my e-ARC yet, arrghh! I’ve got to get round to it as soon as I can — I’ve loved most of Nghi Vo’s work, and this sounds like a fascinating world and story. I’m never very sure about comparisons to Ursula Le Guin (and saying Calvino, Miéville and Le Guin as comparisons just seems like an odd mix), but I do trust that Nghi Vo’s work is good and generally to my taste.

And now I’d better hop on my bike and go to the library — books are calling out to me for pickup!

What’s everyone else’s TBR looking like for the autumn?

This week’s prompt from Top Ten Tuesday is “The Characters Authors Surprisingly Redeemed”. A lot of people are taking it as characters that had a literal redemption arc within the story, but the prompt notes say that it’s about characters you grew to love — which is sometimes the same thing, but not always.

I admit, I’m struggling with this one, but it’s always easier once I start listing them out. Let’s give it a shot! Given the nature of the prompt, there are some spoilers here, and I’m afraid I’ve written a bit of an essay for point #3. Sorry not sorry!

1. Seivarden Vendaai, from Ancillary Justice (Ann Leckie). Seivarden is a difficult character all round, drug-addicted and arrogant and not always ready to help herself. She’s devoted to Breq, though, and devoted to being better than she was: each time I reread it, I find myself going through the same journey where somehow I start rooting for her, and being sad when she’s not part of the action. Every time, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment it happens — and Seivarden’s choices can still be completely infuriating even once you’ve passed that tipping point — but every time, I come to the same conclusion. I might not like Seivarden as a person, but as a character she’s great.
2. Artis Corbin, from A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Becky Chambers). He’s never going to be a super-likeable character, but he does go through some character growth. It’s difficult to say I like the character, and I’m always torn whether I agree with his most significant choice (i.e. his choice to give Ohan the antidote against their stated wishes), but I did grow to appreciate him more. It’s possible that’d work even better if he was a more major character and there was more time spent on it, but on the other hand, he’s such an ass most of the time that that’d probably be unbearable.
3. Shen Qingqiu/Shen Yuan, from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù). Bear with me here. In SVSSS, Shen Yuan transmigrates into a story called Proud Immortal Demon Way, becoming a character who happens to be the villain of the story. There’s some literal redemption here, as Shen Yuan inhabits the role of Shen Qingqiu, changes the story, treats people well and ultimately becomes the lover of a character that, in the original, Shen Qingqiu abused. But I’m also referring to Shen Yuan’s journey as a person, because he starts out with all kinds of assumptions and refuses to really be a part of the world he’s ended up in, and ultimately we see him accept his place in it, fall in love, and get over some of his internalised self-hate about the fact that he’s gay. It drove me batty the first time I read the series, but I think actually we’re being shown a journey toward self-acceptance, rather than a narrative that’s inherently homophobic from the get-go. (This is confirmed for me by reading MXTX’s Heaven Official’s Blessing, where Xie Lian and Hua Cheng’s love for one another is pretty matter-of-fact, with no sign of Shen Yuan’s constant “no homo”.)
   That’s my interpretation, admittedly, because he never really admits that he’s gay, and the narrative is always limited to his point of view: the only internal thoughts and feelings we get to hear about are his, filtered through the fact that he doesn’t really understand his own feelings. But throughout, he talks a big game about the pretty women in Proud Immortal Demon Way, but shows no actual interest in anyone except Luo Binghe, whom he ends up marrying. The story ends before their marriage (which is covered in the extras), and Shen Yuan clearly has a long way to go still… But he’s getting there, and we see that in his decision to say yes to marrying Luo Binghe, and the fact that after their wedding night, he quietly calls Luo Binghe “husband” just because he wants to try out how it sounds (despite being typically quite cagey about such open affection).
   So yeah, Shen Yuan literally redeems the character of Shen Qingqiu, but he also redeems himself — in a way he might never have managed if he hadn’t died and transmigrated into Proud Immortal Demon Way.
4. Edmund Pevensie, from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis). Any other time I might not think of this one, but I’ve been doing a bit of a Narnia reread, so he leaped to mind. He has a literal narrative redemption, of course, in that he starts out a traitor and is redeemed by Aslan, but for me I really came to like how he’d grown and changed from that in Prince Caspian. He’s still sometimes disagreeable, but he’s also a bit more self-aware, and wants to ultimately do the right thing.
   In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Eustace has a bit of a similar journey to Edmund, though he’s just more of a childish ass compared to Edmund’s out-and-out treachery. Like Edmund, we see the journey of a flawed boy who tries to work on it and become better, and he still has petty little outbreaks at first. I’m not actually a big fan of The Silver Chair or later books, but Eustace’s journey continues there. He never becomes a person I’d unequivocally like, but he does become a person who’s working on himself, and that’s admirable.
5. Lord Courtenay, from The Ruin of a Rake (Cat Sebastian). Technically, Courtenay’s getting redeemed after his appearance in The Lawrence Browne Affair, where we mostly just see him as a dissolute playboy. Cat Sebastian does this really well, though: you’ll see a character from one perspective in a given book, and then in the next, you come to understand what’s going on beneath, and even root for that character. Courtenay’s been genuinely misunderstood, as well as making some serious mistakes, and this book quickly establishes that and works toward a happy ending for him that, when it comes, is extremely satisfying. He also has a literal redemption arc where he becomes a bit more socially acceptable and should be able to see his beloved nephew again.
   From the same book, I think Julian also had a bit of a redemption arc for me: he’s already socially acceptable, super acceptable in fact, but it sometimes makes him act like a bit of an ass. Contact with Courtenay softens him up a bit and begins to show him that he can be acceptable enough to society and also have the things he wants. So while he doesn’t have a literal redemption per se, for me he went from being a bit too stiff and focused on appearances to being warmer and more likeable.
6. Thomas Wilker, from A Natural History of Dragons (Marie Brennan). Tom starts off pretty unlikeable, because he and Isabella can’t see one another’s value, and each is fighting against different societal barriers against them becoming scientists. Isabella’s a woman, and Tom’s lower class, and neither of them are welcome. At first it’s each of them against the world alone, but gradually (by the end of the first book, and increasingly throughout the remainder of the series), they join forces and become a lot more than they might be alone. We never get to see a lot of Tom’s personal life, now that I think about it, and in a way I regret that — Isabella’s so focused on dragons, it makes sense that she’s comparatively unaware of Tom’s emotional life (except where it relates to her). But now that I’m thinking about it, I’m definitely wondering!
7. Luke Doomsday, from A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel (KJ Charles). Luke’s never quite unlikeable, but you’re very aware of his flaws while reading, for sure. He’s keeping things from Rufus — who would help him if he only asked — and abusing Rufus’ trust. Even if he doesn’t mean to harm Rufus, he definitely causes harm. And it’s not just Rufus, either; Luke is a hurt boy lashing out, in many ways, and he keeps on hurting those around him because of it. Still, through the course of the novel, he comes to terms with it and starts to be a bit more honest with people, and to heal.
8. Tony Stark, from Civil War: Iron Man (Brian M. Bendis, etc). No, not the movie, but from the original Civil War event in the comics. This particular volume was focused on Iron Man, and his reaction to Steve Rogers’ death. Unlike the movies, it really made me understand Tony Stark’s point of view throughout Civil War, and focused on the deep affection and respect he felt for Steve even while they were at odds. Admittedly, the whole part in Camelot is just weird, but in my view, the movies really needed to adapt this volume as well in order to make Tony’s character gel, and they didn’t.
9. Ged, from A Wizard of Earthsea (Ursula Le Guin). Ged’s not quite unlikeable, in the early chapters of the story, because it’s kind of above whether you like or dislike the characters. Ged is arrogant and incapable of admitting when he’s wrong or when he doesn’t know something, and we see him painfully and slowly learn humility, and then real courage and real power. In the later books, we see that pushed further, as Le Guin dismantled some of the sexist assumptions she built into the world, and widens everyone’s point of view.
10. Paul Schafer, from The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay). It’s been a while since I read these books, but I keep being tempted to revisit, because against all odds, it’s a really good portal fantasy (and I enjoy what it does with Arthurian mythology as well). Paul is a difficult character to like at first, but you quickly understand that his reserve is due to an immense burden of guilt. He never becomes the warmest character, but he does learn to care again, and to forgive himself too. In some ways it’s not an easy read because what Paul suffers — and the other characters too — is immense and sometimes very dark. But it is a lovely trilogy.

Whew, we got there! And I didn’t write too many essays…

I’m sure there are other characters I can’t think of right now, and also obvious characters I missed out somehow, but I always treat Top Ten Tuesday prompts as an opportunity to dig around and maybe come up with something different.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is “books that provide a much-needed escape”, which is quite a broad one. Let’s see what I can do!

1. The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison. I know this one comes up a lot in my Top Ten Tuesday posts, but it’s such a touchstone for me. I’ve read it quite a few times, and I always enjoy it: Maia does his best to be a good person, despite the chaos and ill-will around him, and there’s something so hopeful about the story as a whole. Even better, there’s quite a lot of detail and world-building to wonder about and admire.
2. Heaven Official’s Blessing, by MXTX. This is a much newer addition to the list: it’s what I’m seeking out for escape at the moment. It’s a complicated story with a big cast, and a world that’s unfamiliar in part because I lack the cultural background, and in part because it’s a fantasy. There’s a lot going on: there’s the romance between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, of course, but there’s also the various mysteries that Xie Lian finds himself trying to understand, there’s the moments of slapstick (which isn’t normally my thing, but seems to work here), there’s horror elements, high fantasy… There are so many side characters I’ve come to love, and picking up whichever volume I’m up to at the end of the day is a lovely escape.
3. Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke. I almost chose Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, which is a big dense brick of a fantasy, but on reflection it’s Piranesi that took me further away. I was enchanted by it on first read, and I don’t think I really put it down at all. I had the same experience on a second read, and I’m sure I’ll return to it again in future.
4. Ancillary Justice, by Ann Leckie. This trilogy is so soothing to me, and I couldn’t quite tell you why. In part I think it’s Breq attitude to everything, the ability to go on despite everything crumbling. Plus, the world of the Imperial Radch has a lot to learn, a lot to be curious about.
5. Band Sinister, by KJ Charles. This book is just pure fun. Most of her books work for me if I need a bit of an escape, but Band Sinister is my favourite of them. The first time I read it, I couldn’t sleep, but I spent the whole night trying not to giggle too loud as I read because my wife was sleeping!
6. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. Or really this whole series. It’s just so hopeful about people, in general, and I love exploring the universe with Chambers’ characters.
7. A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan. How could I not include this series? I’ve reread it several times — I love Isabella, and her drive to learn and explore, and the dragons.
8. The Miss Fisher Mysteries, by Kerry Greenwood. I couldn’t pick a favourite of this series, because it’s more about Phryne and her glamour, surprising practicality, and her mysteries. Really this is similar to point #9 just below…
9. Classic mysteries. This isn’t a single book, but a whole subset of a genre — there’s not one specific book that I’d really point to here, because I find most classic mysteries (think Agatha Christie’s era) soothing. There’s a social order that will be restored by the end of the book, everything is going to turn out okay, the innocent will go free and the guilty find their just rewards. My favourite authors that fit this mold are probably E.C.R. Lorac and Dorothy L. Sayers, but it doesn’t even have to be their work in order to act as a perfect escape.
10. Non-fiction. I find non-fiction soothing in a slightly different way, and an excellent way to escape from worrying over things going on in my life. It’s pretty “safe”, it doesn’t require an emotional investment (most of the time anyway), and I can learn new things. That’s always going to be enjoyable for me, even when I’m too het up to enjoy fiction.

Oof, we made it!

How about you? What books do you think of as a perfect escape?

This week’s prompt is “Books Involving Food (That are Not Cookbooks)”, which… I’m sure I know a lot of books which incidentally mention food, but I’m not sure how many will stand out for me. Let’s see…

1. Heaven Official’s Blessing (vol 4), by MXTX. This one springs to mind because I just read it, and because (alas) all the food Xie Lian cooks is awful, if not deadly. Only he and Hua Cheng can stand it, and in volume four, it gets used as a weapon… I’ll pass on the Love for All Seasons stew, and the Incorruptible Chastity Meatballs.
2. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley. It’s been a long while since I read this, but all the descriptions of baking stuck in my head! It’s so full of good food for a vampire novel.
3. Chocolat, by Joanne Harris. I need to give this a reread, it’s been ages, but I always did enjoy it. And of course, it always makes me crave chocolate. (Oh no!)
4. Legends & Lattes, by Travis Baldree. Okay, it mostly involves coffee, but it does feature the tasty, tasty snacks made by Thimble.
5. The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (vol 1), by MXTX. The original Luo Binghe shows his harem favour by cooking for them… but the Luo Binghe that Shen Yuan meets after his transmigration will pretty much only cook for him. Unlike Xie Lian in MXTX’s other book, mentioned above, Luo Binghe really can cook. I have no idea if I’d like congee, but it makes me tempted to find out.
6. Cold Clay, by Juneau Black. Food keeps getting mentioned again and again, and it all sounds so tasty. Though in this book it is slightly macabre to think that Joe’s been making apple pies using apples from the orchard where his murdered wife was secretly buried.
7. The Biscuit: The History of a Very British Indulgence, by Lizzie Collingham. Time for some non-fiction! This one discusses biscuits, of course, but in a way that also tells us about a broader swathe of history too.
8. White Bread: A Social History of the Store-bought Loaf, by Aaron Bobrow-Strain. A whole history about bread? And not just any bread, but just… store-bought loaves? Yep. And it’s fascinating, and in many ways it’s a book about class.
9. A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles, by Ned Palmer. I found this one totally fascinating — and it helps that I really do love cheese.
10. Ice Cream: A Global History, by Laura B. Weiss. I love the Edible series in general, but I’ll stick to highlighting just one. My main complaint was that it wasn’t actually very global.

Yay, I did it! I read a surprising number of books about food for someone who isn’t interested in food, per se. I’m not a cook or any kind of gourmet, but food can be such a strong indicator of culture, it’s a fascinating way to look at society and history.