Rated The Late Americans 8/10
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Rated Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad 8/10
<div>It may have been the cover of the book that drew me in while browsing Libby, but I'm glad I read this biography of Shostakovich, which shows how his life and career intersected with that period of Russian history. There are parallels to world events today, particularly the war crime of letting an entire population starve. Heavy reading, but the information is presented in a straightforward, easy to understand way.</div>
Rated The Faith of Beasts 8/10
<div>Ok, yes, I am invested in this series now that I'm not trying to do the audiobook. This was good, and I'm looking forward to the next one </div>
Rated The Gospel of Anarchy 8/10
To expect Taylor to devise an entire philosophy out of nothing along with the novel itself would be naïve. Expecting fiction to arrive completely out of the imagination misunderstands the act of writing. Even the most speculative or avant garde fiction hopes to connect with its readers, and readers connect when they can identify. The best fiction contains so much truth and honesty, but affords itself the benefit of creating its own facts. Taylor took an existing philosophy and manufactured a world to surround it. He lived in Gainesville between 2000 and 2004, and the description of the university town drips with humidity and rising mercury. The pressure builds in each character in a way that mimics the Florida summer. Borrowing from an existing group of people is no less valid than borrowing from an existing city.<br><br>(full review can be found on <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2011/07/gospel-of-anarchy-by-justin-taylor.html">Glorified Love Letters</a>)
<div>Though I was never SERIOUS-serious about it, I danced for eleven years of my childhood—a very casual education in ballet, jazz, modern, and tap— and I do enjoy learning about interesting, creative people. I hadn't heard of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, founded during the Civil Rights Movement, and Karen Valby does an admirable job introducing us to its founding dancers, showing us their lives within the company, what everyone got up to after, and the legacy they leave today. It doesn't shy away from the difficulties of being a dancer, the racism faced by everyone involved, or the ever-fluctuating demands of their director, Arthur Mitchell. Still, we see so much of the joy and the worldwide accomplishment. I'm glad I read this.<br><br>On a side note (and a bit inside baseball): I see that this is one of the titles that Lisa Lucas acquired for Pantheon before she was bafflingly laid off. It's a shame that the rich guys at the top of the ecosystem can't see the value in her work.</div>
Rated NANO Fiction Volume 5, Number 2 8/10
Rated Doctor Who: Excelis Rising 7/10
<div>Very much the middle bit of the Excelis story, but still a good installment. I definitely want to keep going with it, and the Sixth Doctor is always a fun listen.</div>
Rated The Race for Paris 8/10
It feels weird to say I think I'd LOVE this as a mini series, but as a book I just really liked it. I like that the three main characters are more or less in a romantic relationship with another, though it all manifests in different ways. Would recommend.
Rated The Color of Magic 7/10
<div> I respect Terry Pratchett's whole deal, but I don't know that Discworld is something I'm going to continue with. Now having read 3 of the books —other two being <em>The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents</em> and <em>Witches Abroad </em>— I have found plenty of it funny and I see why people like it, but I'm just not vibing overall. That's ok! I may dip into another book one day, but for now, I have so much else to read.</div>
Rated The Confessions of Dorian Gray: Isolation 6/10
An interesting, short one-off for these interesting times.
Rated The Diary of River Song, Series 3 9/10
Rated The Diary of River Song, Series 5 10/10
"I'm almost hoping we crash so I can regenerate and wake up next to your body!"<br><br>This Master-filled Diary of River Song set has some very funny moments. Really loved this.