Trismegistus

Ganked from ambyr, and ahead of tomorrow's What Am I Reading Wednesday post, here are some things I am not reading:

A book that a certain friend is always telling you to read: My offline friends are very enthusiastic about Josiah Bancroft’s Senlin Ascends and its sequels. I picked up Senlin some months back and then crapped out over fears (later confirmed) as to the ending. That said, I’ll finish it because I have to finish books once I start them, but I know I’m heading for irritation.

A book that's been on your TBR forever and yet you still haven't picked it up: For fiction, I’ve been sitting on a ton of Celtic fantasy/Arthuriana for longer than I care to admit: Diana L. Paxon’s The Serpent’s Tooth, Gillian Bradshaw’s The Hawk of Summer, and Parke Goodwin’s Firelord, to name a few.

In nonfiction, Bradley K. Martin’s Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader, which grows more out-of-date, but no shorter, with each passing day year.

A book in a series you've started, but haven't finished yet: Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series springs immediately to mind. I thought the novels were okay and found the audiobook adaptations fucking brilliant, but I can’t listen to an audiobook without first having read the paper book. It’s another of my things.

There’s also a ton of turn-of-the-century to mid-aughts manga I haven’t finished: Bleach, Mushishi, Natsume Yujincho, Sex Pistols...

A classic you've always liked the sound of, but never actually read: Hm, most of the classics I like the sound of, I read. I’ve made it part of the way through both The Tale of Genji and Kojiki in modern Japanese translation, so I suppose those count.

A popular book that it seems everyone but you has read: These are numerous, once I step outside my friendship and DW bookspheres: The Fault In Our Stars, Fifty Shades of Grey, all but three books of Stephen King’s back catalogue...

A book that inspired a film/TV adaptation that you really love, but you just haven't read it yet: I read lots of books and watch very little cinema/TV, I tend to avoid adaptations of favorite books (I’m looking at you, SyFy’s Magicians), and I’ve wracked my brains and can’t think of anything. In lieu of answering this question, I will state for the record that The Princess Bride is the only film I can think of that is unequivocally superior to the book.

A book you see all over Instagram/Tumblr/BookTube but haven't picked up yet: I stay away from these platforms, so again, nothing. That said, Nine Fox Gambit and Barbara Hambly’s various series have appeared repeatedly in my DW Reading feed, and in request letters for fic exchanges in which I’ve participated.

これで以上です。

Given the massive Tumblr purge, why not?

これで以上です。

Day 7:

In your own space, create a love meme for yourself. Let people tell you how amazing and awesome and loveable you really are. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so. Surf the comments and find people to give love to.

And with that posted, I am off to spread the love to other participants!

これで以上です。

Day 2

In your own space, share a favorite memory about fandom: the first time you got into fandom, the last time a fanwork touched your heart, crazy times with fellow fans (whether on-line or off-line), a lovely comment you’ve received or have left for someone. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Twenty-odd years ago I was hugely into several fandoms (like X-Files) with very active slash communities. Through their MLs I was vaguely aware of something called "yaoi," that was like comics, only in black and white, that you could just buy in a store, and that people created for their jobs. It seemed cool, but far removed from any reality I inhabited.

Fast forward five years and I'm newly arrived in Japan. On a whim, I decide to go into some store called Book-Off on the strength of its humorous name, and while I'm there my brain goes, Hey, remember hearing about that yaoi stuff?

And somehow, without having any idea of how Japan' publishing industry works, or a Japanese bookstore is organized, or how the Japanese language is alphabetized, or even the ability to read above a fourth grade level, I managed to find a 100 yen copy of Naono Bohra's A Bird in a Dream.

I spent hours each night over the next two months hunched over a dictionary trying to figure out kanji compounds, slang, verb conjugations, and grammar patterns. But that was the start of learning to read Japanese like a native, and better yet, my entry into a subculture in which I've made some of my best and most lasting friendships, to people all over the world. A totally excellent return on investment for 100 yen and a couple of one-off references on an ML.

これで以上です。

I had every intention of posting this before the new year began. Oops.

How many books read in 2017?
I read 108 books cover-to-cover. (NB: My definition of “cover-to-cover” includes all forewords, afterwords, glossaries, appendices, and other such bits. For instance, I read all of The Goblin Emperor except the who's who at the end, and it is thus not included in the count above.) The 108 included fiction, non-fiction, comics, and manga, in Japanese and English.

Favorite book overall?
Fiction: Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner
Nonfiction: The Souls of China by Ian Johnson

Least Favorite?
Fiction: The Lies of Locke Lamora
Nonfiction: The Wasting of Borneo

Fiction/Non-Fiction ratio?
82:26

Author gender breakdown?
Women: 41
Men: 58
Unknown or anthology: Nine
Interestingly, the ratio skews toward men because I although I read far more prose fiction by women, men wrote most of the comics and manga I read this year, many of which I read more than once during the year. Also, in the interest of simplicity, I sorted the comics by author, not illustrator, so those books will male authors but female illustrators are only included in the men's count.

Most books read by one author this year?
Six (all graphic novels by Warren Ellis--Injection vol. 1 x 2, Injection vol. 2, Transmetropolitan: Tales of Human Waste, Trees vol. 2, and Red.

Any in translation?
The Original Dream by Nukila Amal, from the Indonesian. Everything else, I read in its original language—in this case, English and Japanese.

Oldest?
Japan and Korea by Frank Carpenter, which I believe was published in 1926.

Newest?
I believe it was The Windfall by Diksha Basu, but don't quote me on that.

Longest Title?
Walking Your Octopus: A Guidebook to the Domesticated Cephalopod by Brian Kesinger

Shortest Title?
Red by Warren Ellis

Longest book?
Inda by Sherwood Smith

Shortest book?
Triangle by Mac Barnett

Format of books read?
Paper: 100
Ebook: Eight
I also listened to multiple audiobooks, but since I didn't include them in the count above I won't include them here.

Re-reads?
More than once in 2017: Six
 Triangle by Mac Barnett (x2)
 The Devil's Feast by M.J. Carter (x2)
 Injection vol. 1 by Warren Ellis (x2)

In 2017 and an earlier year: 17
 10% Happier by Dan Harris
 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
 The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
 The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
 The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander
 A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
 The Giver by Lois Lowry
 The Infidel Stain by M.J. Carter
 Injection vol. 2 by Warren Ellis
 The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
 Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat
 Promethea vol. 3 by Alan Moore
 Promethea vol. 4 by Alan Moore
 Red by Warren Ellis
 The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter
 The Tarot: History, Mystery, and Lore by Cynthia Giles
 The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

Book that most changed my perspective:
A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Kliebold

Favorite character:
Costis in Thick as Thieves. He was an absolute delight.

Favorite scene:
There was a scene in The Devil's Feast that made me very, very happy.

Favorite Quote:
So much of what is onerous, or dangerous, to women, comes down to "custom." "Tradition." - Caitlin Moran, Moranifesto.
 
What do you want to read in 2018?
The list is endless. My top five are currently:
The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Ka by John Crowley
League of Dragons by Naomi Novik
The Tain translated from the Irish by Ciaran Carson

これで以上です。

Aaaand I go out with a fizzle, posting the final two songs almost a week behind schedule.

29 - a song you remember from your childhood
  Dire Straits – Money for Nothing
  In aggregate, I've probably listened to this song more than any other in my life. This is the album version, but the four minute music video is also well worth watching.

30 - a song that reminds you of yourself
  Poe - Control

これで以上です。

26 - a song that makes you want to fall in love
  Peter Gabriel – I Have the Touch
  Yes, yes, technically a song about extroversion, but the mixture of enthusiasm, optimism, and restless anticipation and dissatisfaction in these lyrics comes closer to my experience of falling in love than anything.

これで以上です。

Hahah, so behind on everything I mean to post...

23 - a song you think everybody should listen to
  Rasputina – Indian Weed
  Rasputina's live presentations are not to be missed and this video demonstrates why. This track just sears.

24 - a song by a band you wish were still together
  Prick – Communique
  Kevin McMahon has been my future husband ever since the days of Lucky Pierre. Listen to this track and understand why.

これで以上です。

THIS IS THE ENTRY I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

21 - a favourite song with a person's name in the title
  The Pillows – Kim Deal
  The best song ever written, ever. After nearly two decades it still makes me incandescently happy whenever I listen to it.

これで以上です。

19 - a song that makes you think about life
  Talking Heads - Heaven
  This song is a finger pointing at the moon.

これで以上です。