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Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

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Major book recommendation: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. It's a Nebula nominee *and* on the Tiptree Honors List, and I would not be at all surprised to find it a Hugo nominee as well. It is good enough that I have just finished it and am already going back to re-read the first chapter.

To begin with, it is a really good story with strong writing. But beyond that, it will make you think about identity/personality and gender in a way that you might not have before. Also, while it is the first book in a "loose trilogy" and I look forward to reading more, it didn't leave me with that sinking feeling I usually get when I discover that a new book I am reading is the first in a trilogy, meaning I have to wait years before finding out the whole story. The book end with many threads to continue the story, but with enough closure to make you feel like you really finished reading a novel.

You should read this book.

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Canning for a New Generation

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Since this spring, I have been working my way through Liana Krissoff's Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry. So far, I have made rhubarb and orange jam, pickled asparagus, kohlrabi and radish refrigerator pickles, brandied cherries with red wine, and peach jam. Everything has been extremely tasty and surprisingly easy.

Krissoff's writing style is clear and easy to follow, infusing a touch of gentle humor with understandable descriptions and directions. Rinne Allen's gorgeous photography also goes a long way towards making the book a delight to hold and read.

One truly wonderful thing about the book is that the recipes are geared towards small batches, which work well for the modern pantry. Most of the preserved fruits I have made have been in quantities about about six half-pint jars. This allows me to make a variety of recipes without becoming overwhelmed by a wall of canned goods.

The book is divided into Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, and then subdivided into Fruits and Vegetables for each section. Along with the pickles and preserves, Krissoff includes a few recipes that incorporate the things you have canned. I am particularly looking forward to trying her "Perfect Sidecar" with my brandied cherries.

One cruel thing about summer canning (particularly this summer) is that you end up spending time with a lot of boiling water during the hottest part of the year. (It was in the high 90's when I made my rhubarb orange jam...at that point, I figured I would hardly even notice the extra heat.) However, the occasional cool evening is the perfect time to hit the kitchen.

I don't think I will make every recipe in the book, but I do have hopes for at least one fruit and one vegetable from each seasonal section. I may even start freestyling as my CSA bounty comes in. I do remember having some success with dill pickled summer squash and zucchini a few years back.

The book may be "For a New Generation", but I come from a long line of canners. Shortly after I began my canning journey, in June, my Grandmother died. She was my Dad's mother and, at 92, she was my last remaining grandparent. One of the things I brought back with me from her house after the funeral was the jar lifter that she and Grandpa had used in their canning. It was a step up from my clumsy rubberband-wrapped tongs, and I think of my heritage every time I use it. I have a feeling that, at some point, canning jars from my grandparents (and great-grandparents) may make their way into my kitchen. It turns out that we aren't just preserving produce when we do this.

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Sometime around 2000, I heard, in error, that Maurice Sendak had died. I was sad about this, but did not discover that it was a false report until years later, in 2006. I wept Tuesday morning when I heard, once more, that he had died. I knew that this time, I wouldn't be getting him back. I wasn't as heartbroken as I was when Jim Henson died, but Henson died well before he should have. I knew from recent interviews with Sendak that, at age 83, he was starting to get pissed out about still being alive. He seemed ready to go.

Maurice Sendak, like Henson, had a strong hand in shaping my childhood landscape. Where the Wild Things Are became a favorite of mine very early on, and it remains so to this day. I am not alone in this by any means.) I did find the movie version to be enchanting, but I'd probably rather watch the Scholastic Storybook Treasures version.

However, it wasn't just Wild Things. My sister and I had a cassette of the Off-Broadway production of Really Rosie that we played over and over, memorized, and performed on our own. (I was particularly fond of "The Awful Truth.") We had copies of Pierre and Chicken Soup With Rice that got their share of wear. We also loved listening to Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or, There Must Be More to Life on tape, as read by Tammy Grimes.

Like Trina Schart Hyman, he was one of the illustrators whose work I have most admired. I was tremendously excited to find the Pacific Northwest Ballet's production of "Nutcracker", with set a costume designs from Maurice Sendak on VHS in the late 80s. It was a wonder and a delight.

Unsurprisingly, this week I have spent a great deal of time reading other people's memories of Sendak and revisiting my own. We remember and we carry on.

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How Do You Stack Up?

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Bordertown is coming back!

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And just in time for summer vacation. I will be getting there by way of the Monroe Street Library. How will you make your way to Bordertown? Here's a head start...

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The Work Shall Live On

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I started out my Sunday morning with the sad news that Diana Wynne Jones died at the age of 76, from cancer. It was not unexpected. She stopped chemo last August, as it was only making her more ill, rather than helping.

Expected or not, it was still an unhappy piece of news. As is often the case when a famous artist (actor, musician, writer, etc) dies...there is a twinge of selfish regret for the work that they won't be able to create from this point forth. The books that will never be written. So it was important for me to stop and consider her amazing biobliography. She wrote so many stories, and just about every one of them is one of my favorites. Some are more favorite than others, but they are all gems to be treasured.

As is the case for many of her fans, she was one of my very first favorites. I still remember picking up Witch Week, Charmed Life, and A Tale of Time City from the paperback spinner in the children's section of the East Library on North Avenue in Milwaukee. I read through them on a tear, and was delighted to discover that there were more. I've continued to be delighted by them ever since.

I am now feeling that over the next few months, I am going to have to embark on a massive Diana Wynne Jones re-read, and get my hands on as many of her books as I can.She will be greatly missed.

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I did not even know that such a book existed. Now, thanks to Maggie Mason, I do. And I am delighted by it.

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The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

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N. K. Jemisin's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms rather knocked my socks off. The world she created was rich and interesting, and the style of storytelling had a unique flow.

Check out the sample chapters.

I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the Inheritance Trilogy, The Broken Kingdoms, which comes out in November. (Oh look, a sample chapter!)

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Shades of Milk and Honey

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I just finished reading Mart Robinette Kowal's Shades of Milk and Honey, and I must say, I enjoyed it greatly. The plot was engaging, the writing flowed well, and nothing jarred me out of the world of the book (as opposed to the clever-idea-but-poorly-executed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies).

It reminded me Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer's magical regency books, though with a very different flavor. Kowal is very careful to make sure that this magic is used for decoration and entertainment, and does not have any military applications, which makes it a suitable "feminine accomplishment" rather than a dangerous weapon.

I recommend the book, and after reading it, I also recommend going to the website and reading the Easter eggs. (They are password protected: just remember the name of the horse Jane rides in Chapter 10.)

In the meantime, here is the delightful book trailer, featuring some of Kowal's shadow puppetry.

And as a bonus...Jane Austen's Fight Club, for some non-period authentic fun:

(Coming soon...my belated thoughts on N. K. Jeminsin's amazing The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms)

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Nominations for the 2010 Hugo Awards close next Sunday. As I am still eligible to nominate (having been to WorldCon last year), I have been giving it some thought. I can nominate up to five in each catagory.

Best Novel, current thoughts are:
The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The City & The City by China Miéville
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Best Novella, Best Novelette...dunno. I don't think I read any new ones from 2009.

Best Short Story is also a dunno, as I can't quite remember which that I read where new in 2009. I'll have to look it up.
ETA:
I'm liking K. Tempest Bradford's "Élan Vital"

Best Related Work is a category that I know very little about.

Best Graphic Story is going to require more thought, and I'd be happy to take recommendations. (Any science fiction or fantasy story told in graphic form appearing for the first time in 2009.)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form:
Coraline
Star Trek
Moon

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
"Epitaph One," Dollhouse

Best Editor, Short Form; Best Editor, Long Form; Best Professional Artist...dunno. I'll have to think on it.

Best Semiprozine
I believe Shadow Unit qualifies.

Best Fanzine, Best Fan Writer, Best Fan Artist, John W. Campbell Award...dunno.

I'd welcome any thoughts and input on categories that are blank or incomplete.

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Pondering the Hugos

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I just read Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld's newest book, and it is definitely going to be one that I nominate for a Hugo this year. It was a great read and the illustrations were gorgeous. I was both disappointed and excited when I realized that it was just the first part of a larger story. On the one hand, I have to wait to find out what happens next. On the other hand, more story!

Also on my list for novels are Lev Grossman's The Magicians and China Miéville's The City & the City

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Interesting observations on cover art

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Can be found from Heather Tomlinson over on Tor.com.

Sometimes cover art can cause controversy,as was the case with Bloomsbury's Australian release of Justine Larbalestier's Liar. Often, the authors have no say in the matter, though in this case Bloomsbury was smart enough to change the art to something more suitable.

I have to say, sometimes it is really fascinating to see the behind-the-scenes angle on this stuff.

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So it should come as no surprise that I love Picture Book Report. Illustrators getting together (on the internet) and making pictures for the stories they love. I'm charmed.

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More Bordertown!

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Excellent news! Holly Black and Bordertown anthology.

The Bordertown setting is, along with Newford and London Below, one of the major influences on my work. So this is very, very squeeful for me.

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The art, it is versatile, no?

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Can you judge a book by its cover? Maybe, maybe not. Seeing the same image used for so many book covers really makes me appreciate how art and imagery can be interpreted.

It would be kind of nice if there were little blurbs for each book. Sometimes the titles can give a good indication of what the book is about and if it is similar or different from its covermates, but not always. The way the cover designers use different crops, color balance, contrast, etc to change the feel is also intriguing.

Study of Emma Hart as Circe seems to be particularly popular.

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The Illustrious Illustrator

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While I didn't end up going into illustration myself, a good many of the people who inspired me to do art were illustrators: Maurice Sendak, Trina Schart Hyman, and of course, Normal Rockwell.

My dad had a great big book of Normal Rockwell covers. It was huge, and I loved looking at it. I would sit in my favorite chair and the book would cover my entire lap. I could spend hours looking at it. I'd imagine the stories that went with each, try to spot the jokes in the April Fool's covers, look for repeating themes and ideas, and pretend that I was one of the characters in some pictures.

Of course, he is "America's most beloved illustrator". So it I know my love of Mr. Rockwell isn't some crazy rarity. At the same time, it can be fashionable to sneer at the sentimental Americana of Rockwell's work. I'll have none of that, thankyouverymuch,

I recently had the urge to look at those illustrations again. My dad's book is up in northern Wisconsin, so I picked up the three-volume Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post: The Early Years, the Middle Years, the Later Years from the library, and have been reading through it. And yes, reading. I intended to just look at the illustrations that I remembered from my girlhood, but I find myself reading the paragraphs that accompany each page, and learning quite a bit that I'd never know about the artist and his work.

Even his "less successful" covers are a pleasure to look at, and I strongly recommend the collection. What I really find neat are the oldest covers, before he was able to work in full color. They are only red and black duotones, but somehow I'd never really noticed the limited palette until it was pointed out to me. I thought that was pretty neat.

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Pattern Recognition and The Ad Men

I just finished reading Pattern Recognition by William Gibson. It was my first Gibson, but I daresay it won't be my last. I enjoyed it very much, tearing through most of it in one sitting.

The writing style was not the type to which I am normally attacted, but the story of Cayce Pollard, "coolhunter" was so compelling that it just pulled me along. Not only did the twists and turns of the narrative keep me turning page after page, but the close looks at today's cultures of internet and branding, of fetish and obsession, and the echoes of September 11, 2001 provided me with a way to step back and look that each aspect with a longer view: otaku, Pilates, Starbucks, airport security, and the Michelin Man, together at last.

One thing that made my reading particularly interesting is that I also have Meet Mr. Product: The Art of the Advertising Character by Warren Dotz and Masud Husain, which documents advertising characters from the last century, including Bibendum, a.k.a. The Michelin Man.

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