It’s week 3 of the Swordspoint read-along, and the politics on the Hill are getting as sharp as the swords in Riverside. Who is Alec? What is Lord Ferris up to? Will Richard’s overconfidence be his undoing? Why did someone give him a kitten?
Category Archive: Read-Alongs
Welcome to the second week of the read-along for Of Oysters, Pearls and Magic (The Tale of Yin). Lovely Lynn of Little Lion Lynnet’s is our ringleader for this read-along, but I’m honoured to be hosting this week’s discussion. We’ll be reading for the next two weeks if you’d like to join us for The Path of Kindness.
Calling all Gentleman Bastards! As part of the wider (re-)read of the Gentleman Bastard sequence championed by Kaja (http://ofdragonsandhearts.com/) and DJ (https://mylifemybooksmyescape.wordpress.com/), I’ll be hosting an epic read-along.
It’s week 2 of the Swordspoint read-along, so the important question has to be: how’s that Dangerous Liaisons comparison doing? I’m delighted to say that it holds as a note on setting and tone, and that other questions are bubbling up as the water gets warmer.
One of the wonderful things about being a bookworm online is that when someone gets excited about a book, we can all pile in and read along. Lovely Lynn of Little Lion Lynnet’s is our ringleader for this week’s discussion of Of Oysters, Pearls and Magic (book one of The Tale of Yin). We’ll be reading for the next three weeks if you’d like to join us.
Ellen Kushner’s Swordspoint gets regular mention as one of the classic modern fantasies that I should have read by now. But why oh why did nobody ever say ‘it’s fantasy Dangerous Liaisons with gay fencing’?
Seriously, if that doesn’t do it for you…
I’m looking forward to joining a read-along of Joyce Chng’s The Tale of Yin duology (Of Oysters, Pearls and Magic and The Path of Kindness) starting later this month. If you fancy a set of linked short stories exploring women, magic, privilege, and compassion in a fantasy setting, you might like to join us.
When an alien spacecraft lands in the lagoon off Lagos, the world changes. As the panic-stricken city tears itself apart, three people are chosen to make first contact. They will have to confront their deepest secrets, if they – and the rest of Lagos – are to survive.
I joined Claire and Nikki of Bitches with Books for this month’s Bitches Book Club read.
In the powerful conclusion to the Sequence, the Dark comes rising for its final confrontation with the Light, when the fate of the world will be decided. The Six must retrieve the last Thing of Power and avoid the traps set by the Dark if they are to reach the Midsummer Tree in time.
Will Stanton is sent to North Wales to recuperate from a serious illness.
Certain that he has forgotten something important, he finds himself in the thick of conflicts both ancient and modern as the power of the Grey King stirs against him. Can the Light steer its forgetful servant in the right direction, or will the Dark claim the Thing of Power buried under the mountain?
When the grail is stolen from the British Museum, the Drews are invited back to Trewissick to help Gumerry retrieve it. But with only a week’s holiday – and a strange boy called Will Stanton tagging at their heels – how can the children find the space and secrecy to complete their quest?
It’s nearly Christmas, and Will Stanton is turning 11. As if puberty and buying presents for 9 siblings weren’t hazard enough, he awakens on his birthday to discover he is the last of the Old Ones, fated to seek the Signs of the Light and stop the Dark from rising.
It’s easy to be snarky, but this festive classic is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.
The Drew family are delighted to spend the summer in Trewissick with Great-uncle Merry.
When the three children discover a crumbling manuscript in the attic, they think they’ve found an adventure to occupy their time.
But the ancient map holds the secret to a long-lost treasure that could tip the balance in the age-old battle with the Dark. Uncertain who to trust, the children find themselves in a race to the finish against forces more menacing than they had ever imagined.
It’s December, and the second worldwide The Dark is Rising Readathon has kicked off. I’m joyfully embracing this as an opportunity to re-visit a childhood favourite, although I shall be adopting an accelerated reading schedule (a book a week, finishing the sequence before New Year) rather than the gracefully staggered but protracted schedule that has you read each book at the time of year in which it is set.
For those who would like to jump on board, more information is available on the official website, and there’s already much discussion on the Facebook Group and Twitter feed. Many thanks to Danny Whittaker for organising us all.
It feels like I’ve been writing about The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet all month, but it’s time to round up with an actual review of Becky Chambers excellent debut.
Rosemary Harper has faked a new identity and signed on with the Wayfarer as a clerk. Captain Ashby hopes she’ll open doors to juicier contracts. Everyone else just hopes she’s less of a pain in the ass than their fuel engineer.
onemore.org 