Mostly reading sci-fi, fantasy, and comics/graphic novels, but occasionally some other stuff too.
This link opens in a pop-up window
75% complete! Barbarius has read 39 of 52 books.
Six years, 100,000 miles and 46 states: American Geography is a daunting exploration of poverty …
...that the US is a failed state that doesn't care about anyone at all. Why would anyone live there?
This pictures are great, though.
...that the US is a failed state that doesn't care about anyone at all. Why would anyone live there?
This pictures are great, though.
Six years, 100,000 miles and 46 states: American Geography is a daunting exploration of poverty in contemporary America, recording the …
A personal chronicle of three key legal privacy battles that have defined the digital age …
After June 1, 2027, the MIT Press will post an electronic edition of the work on an MIT Press website, under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND licence, which shall apply to that version.
This very amazing fact was in amongst the publishing information page. Set a date, people!
This very amazing fact was in amongst the publishing information page. Set a date, people!
A personal chronicle of three key legal privacy battles that have defined the digital age …
Quite excited to read this one.
She might win the throne. She might destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with murder.
After twenty-four years …
The future of storytelling is here.
Disabled, disinclined to marry, and more interested in writing than a lucrative career …
From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a …
Content warning Main critique involves a significant plot spoiler.
I enjoyed reading this quite a lot. I enjoyed the writing and world building, how the characters and story gain depth in intriguing ways the more you read through the story, and the story itself is very interesting. I'd like to say that I've read a significant amount of time-travel stories–especially recently with a recent collection I've been working through–and I think this a very good time-travel story; it feels fresh and new, which I think can be hard to achieve with this genre.
My only real critique is this: at one point one of the main characters abandons his two- and four-year-old to travel through time and leaves them behind. And it's well established by this point that when time-travelling those people left behind don't disappear: the timeline remains. And I was not okay with that at all nosiree. I instantly hated that (protagonist) character and considered them a monster. Their success/resolution was not worth it from that point on. Like, would you kill two children to be with your partner? What about if they were your own, the ones you had with said partner? So, well done, author, for making me feel things with your writing, but those are not the feelings I want to feel ever.
She might win the throne. She might destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with …
#Hugo2026Finalist Novel
From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about …
"Look at you, eating magic like you're one of us."
Doctor Walden is the …
The easiest – though mostly inaccurate – way to describe The Incandescent is "Harry Potter, but from the teacher's perspective". The main character, Dr Walden, is the Director of Magic at a posh English boarding school that, alongside all the usual curriculum of Maths, English, Chemistry, etc., also teaches magical disciplines. And while some people are naturally predisposed to magic, anyone can learn it if they study and apply themselves. This world-building leads to some interesting scenarios, such as "there's an imp in the photocopier again," and "Urgh, I have to complete this risk assessment before tomorrow's demon summoning lab class with my Year 12's".
I really enjoyed this because, as a teacher, the teacher's perspective's felt real and genuine, and not manufactured based on what the author remembered of their favourite teachers and/or wished their teachers were like from ten/twenty/thirty years ago. (For context: the author, Emily Tesh, …
The easiest – though mostly inaccurate – way to describe The Incandescent is "Harry Potter, but from the teacher's perspective". The main character, Dr Walden, is the Director of Magic at a posh English boarding school that, alongside all the usual curriculum of Maths, English, Chemistry, etc., also teaches magical disciplines. And while some people are naturally predisposed to magic, anyone can learn it if they study and apply themselves. This world-building leads to some interesting scenarios, such as "there's an imp in the photocopier again," and "Urgh, I have to complete this risk assessment before tomorrow's demon summoning lab class with my Year 12's".
I really enjoyed this because, as a teacher, the teacher's perspective's felt real and genuine, and not manufactured based on what the author remembered of their favourite teachers and/or wished their teachers were like from ten/twenty/thirty years ago. (For context: the author, Emily Tesh, is – present tense – a teacher, and I think that really makes a difference)
The writing is really good. There is a certain poetic nature that comes forward during internal thoughts that is nice to read, and in my opinion it never felt like an overuse of words. Even when you're reading from multiple internal and external perspectives on the one page, the subtle changes in language make it clear who is narrating without having to explicitly state so.
My only real critique is that the plot was a little bit predictable. By the midpoint I felt like I could guess what was going to happen, and while there were one or two deviations, I was mostly right on the general thrust of it all. However, even with this I never felt bored reading "what I thought was going to happen anyway," which I think says a lot about Tesh's writing and use of language throughout.
From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a …
#Hugo2026Finalist Novel
"Look at you, eating magic like you're one of us."
Doctor Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood …
"Look at you, eating magic like you're one of us."
Doctor Walden is the …
For every sentimental my teacher changed my life story you heard, there were dozens of my teacher made me moderately bored a few times a week and then I got through the year and moved on with my life and I never thought about them again.
— The Incandescent by Emily Tesh (Page 329)
You and me both, buddy.
"Look at you, eating magic like you're one of us."
Doctor Walden is the …
I'm thoroughly enjoying this! Though I do wonder how much of my enjoyment is coloured by the fact that I'm a teacher and this is a story written by a teacher. That is to say, it's a realistic representation of teaching, and not an idealised one with no basis in the day-to-day reality of teaching.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this! Though I do wonder how much of my enjoyment is coloured by the fact that I'm a teacher and this is a story written by a teacher. That is to say, it's a realistic representation of teaching, and not an idealised one with no basis in the day-to-day reality of teaching.
"Look at you, eating magic like you're one of us."
Doctor Walden is the …
#Hugo2026Finalist Novel
