When all the library holds come in at once, and you have a new season of Bridgerton to watch! A few of these are for buddy reads/ booknclubs ❤️ and some are my new release holds⭐️! Now the question is...where do I start!?!? Books pictured from top to bottom: ⭐️Blood on the Tide by Katee Robert ❤️Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas ❤️The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais ⭐️Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren ⭐️Funny Story by Emily Henry ❤️Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold #currentreads #currentlyreading #librarybookstack #libraryhaul #libraryreads #bookclubreads #readalong #kateerobert #sherrythomas #christinalauren #emilyhenry #mywordasvorkosigan
My Word As Vorkosigan Episode 9: Mirror Dance, by Lois McMaster Bujold. In today's episode we talk about Mirror Dance with Jo Walton, renowned SF author of Among Others, which won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel in 2012, and of Tooth and Claw, one of Meg's favorite Victorian literature pastiches. Jo also hosted a readalong of the Vorkosigan series for Tor.com (now Reactor) in 2009, and she was kind enough to lend us her expertise on one of the most complex books of the saga. Brothers in Arms had a very satisfying ending, but Bujold left us with a plot thread loose in the galaxy. In Mirror Dance, that loose thread unravels Miles's alter ego in the most devastating way. This is Alex's favorite of the series, but one Meg had not revisited since she read it for the first time. If you're looking for a book that will rip out your heart and put it back together again (literally, if you're Miles), this is the one in the Saga that will do it for you. Link in bio to find all of the episodes in the My Word As Vorkosigan limited series! Also join us in the Bujold Book Club on Discord. #MyWordAsVorkosigan #BrothersInArms #LoisMcMasterBujold #JoWalton
“Since no one is perfect, it follows that all great deeds have been accomplished out of imperfection. Yet they were accomplished, somehow, all the same.” —LMB, Mirror Dance Am I depressed, or am I just at that part of Mirror Dance? “That part”=75% of the book. Mirror Dance is, objectively, the best of the Vorkosigan books, having one of the most stunning plot lines I have ever read (it’s on my list of books I would love to read for the first time all over again, although I think that if I got that wish it would kill me). It is also the darkest of the Vorkosigan books. I always repress the ED trigger warnings, and they smack me against the face again and again. There are a whole host of other trigger warnings as well. Reading a Vorkosigan book every two weeks is making me really see all the complex plotlines. I am boggled by the continuity. There are relatively few plot holes or misplaced things. It’s an entire world dropped in, complete and real and amazingly convoluted and yet seemingly clear. I think I can pretty confidently say (based on over 25 years of reading SF) that of SF series longer than a trilogy, the Vorkosigan Saga is the best SF series ever written. I will be accepting no notes or criticisms of this opinion. I’m reading the Vorkosigan Saga as part of the My Word as Vorkosigan group read with @plottrysts. If you’re interested in reading this groundbreaking classic sci-fi series, join us! #mywordasvorkosigan #mirrordance #militaryscifi #bookphoto #bookreview #vorkosigansaga
“No, no, never send interim reports. Only final ones. Interim reports tend to elicit orders. Which you must then either obey, or spend valuable time and energy evading, which you could be using to solve the problem.” —Miles Vorkogisan Basically: Miles gets stuck on Earth after a paperwork slowdown, finds himself caught in between personas and crafts up a lie to explain his two identities, and the lie ends up being (mostly) true and then Miles must extricate himself and his new brother from the ensuing crisis. It’s at turns hilarious, heartrending and pulse-thumping, with deeper implications for Barrayar and its little empire. When I reread the Vorkosigan Saga, I don’t often pick up Brothers in Arms (along with a lot of the younger Miles stuff that is not Warrior’s Apprentice or Vor Game). Mainly because I found Cetaganda and Brothers in Arms boring in my youth, although they are decidedly not. But Brothers in Arms is in a unique position because it launches two of the most painful and well-written character arcs I have ever read. I don’t like Brothers in Arms because it runs almost headlong into Mirror Dance, Bujold’s best book ever (not my favorite, but objectively the best Vorkosigan book). Mirror Dance is also the darkest book in the series. Anywho, I read Brothers in Arms. I adored it. It was funnier than I remembered and also darker, too? But now I have two weeks to prepare myself for Mirror Dance and…I’m not ready. I’m reading the Vorkosigan Saga as part of the My Word as Vorkosigan group read with @plottrysts. If you’re interested in reading this groundbreaking classic sci-fi series, join us! #mywordasvorkosigan #cetaganda #militaryscifi #bookphoto #bookreview #vorkosigansaga
My Word As Vorkosigan Episode 8: Brothers in Arms, by Lois McMaster Bujold. After "The Borders of Infinity," Miles heads to Earth with his mercenary crew to place an order for replacement materiel. When he arrives, though, the Barrayaran Embassy doesn't know what to do with him. He's placed under the command of Captain Duv Galeni and assigned a dormitory to share with his cousinly irritation and fellow lieutenant Ivan Vorpatril. This being an Admiral Naismith book, Miles doesn't just sit back and wait for his financial situation to shake out. Add in a Komarran terrorist, a ridiculous cover story about a clone (or is it really so ridiculous?), and a deepening romantic relationship with Elli Quinn, and you've got a real Miles Vorkosigan adventure. In today's episode we talk about Brothers in Arms with Olivia Waite/ @o_wow_waite, versatile author of romance and SFF, and columnist for the New York Times Book Review. If you haven't yet had the pleasure, Olivia Waite has some of the hottest historical romances around. She's probably best known for her sapphic historicals, but this holiday season Laine and I read Generous Fire and it was, indeed, generous with the 🔥🔥🔥. Link in bio to find all of the episodes in the My Word As Vorkosigan limited series! Also join us in the Bujold Book Club on Discord. #MyWordAsVorkosigan #BrothersInArms #LoisMcMasterBujold #OliviaWaite
“Change is a function of time and experience, and time is implacable.” —LMB, Ethan of Athos It’s hard to believe I haven’t read Ethan of Athos since my very first time nearly (or over!) twenty years ago when I was in high school. Baby laurel did not like this book. Baby laurel was bored to tears by it and kept expecting a deus ex Miles-ina to come popping in to save the day. Needless to say, she wasn’t impressed. Adult me isn’t as in love with this one, but I appreciated this as a nice set-up for what comes next with both the Cetagandans and the Jackson’s Hole set. It gives Ellie a lovely book of her own, shown through the eyes of Ethan, a gay man from a male-only-led society where women are Beyond Taboo. Adult me is appreciative of the thought experiment that is Athos, and how central children are to a male-only society. How central, indeed, children are (should be) to any society. And how important—and expensive—childcare is (when Ethan is like, kids are $$$$$ and Ellie goes, “ooooooh you are counting the normally undocumented work devoted to all aspects of homemaking and childcare usually associated as women’s work and therefore devalued, but because you’re all dudes and technically all equal it’s actually calculated”). Adult me also has been enjoying how Bujold weaves biological issues into each of her Vorkosigan books. How is legacy genetic, and how is it not? And at what in the tinkering process does a human cease to be...well, human? Anywho, this was a beyond progressive book for its time, publishing as it did in the midst of the AIDS crisis. I’m reading the Vorkosigan Saga as part of the My Word as Vorkosigan group read with @plottrysts. If you’re interested in reading this groundbreaking classic sci-fi series, join us! #mywordasvorkosigan #ethanofathos #militaryscifi #bookphoto #bookreview #vorkosigansaga
My Word As Vorkosigan Episode 7: Cetaganda, by Lois McMaster Bujold. The Cetagandans have been some of the series' most reliable baddies: they invaded two planets (including Barrayar) and tried to invade a third, abducted Ethan Urquhart, and did some real genetic experiments on Terrance. In Cetaganda, Miles and his loutish cousin Ivan are sent on a diplomatic mission: represent the Barrayaran Empire at the funeral of the Cetagandan empress. Of course, Miles being Miles, he can't just attend a funeral. He stumbles into a murder mystery plot that leads him into the heart of the Empire. We talked about Cetaganda with Katherine Addison, who created her own empire in her master work The Goblin Emperor. Hers is a fantasy empire, and Bujold's is science fictional, but both books look at power and how it's administered, both overtly and subtly. In addition to all of the ruminations on empire, culture, and power, @alexandravasti and I (being who we are) spend a lot of time talking about Ivan. As @laurelthereader puts it, he plays the role of Casanova, damsel, and cavalry - all in one character! (His trip to the Moon Garden Hall is the moment where we can truly see him as an eventual romance hero. The bones are there!) Link in bio to find all of the episodes in the My Word As Vorkosigan limited series! Also join us in the Bujold Book Club on Discord. And if you haven't picked up one of Katherine Addison's books yet, they are well worth the picking! Try The Goblin Emperor if you're in the mood for dense political fantasy, or if you like Sherlock Holmes retellings, The Angel of the Crow is one of my personal favorites. #MyWordAsVorkosigan #Cetaganda #LoisMcMasterBujold
“He was beginning to wonder if he was trying to rescue the dragon.” —Miles Vorkosigan, Cetaganda In which we see Miles step out into the galaxy as Lord Vokosigan not Admiral Naismith, to attend the funeral of the Dowager Empress of Cetaganda on behalf of Emperor Gregor. Murder, mystery, mayhem and lots of genetics ensue—along with a heaping dose of Ivan as a three-for-one special of Casanova, damsel and cavalry. The first time I read Cetaganda was in high school, and it wasn’t a favorite. It’s still not a favorite, although I admire the complexities and the way LMB discusses eugenics (although there are some weird gaps in how Miles views the Cetagandan eugenics experiment). This book is a huge flex. Going from space opera to a socio-political commentary on genetics, cultures and the future, with a little murder mystery splashed in to keep it interesting. Another flex is that with all this talk of genetics it still holds up really well for a book published in 1995. Now THAT is talent! I’m rereading the Vorkosigan Saga as part of the My Word as Vorkosigan group read with @PlotTrysts. If you’re interested in reading this groundbreaking classic sci-fi series, join us! #mywordasvorkosigan #cetaganda #militaryscifi #bookphoto #bookreview #vorkosigansaga
March reading round-up! In March, we released 8 podcast episodes and read 20 additional books. Here they all are, with our rankings: 5⭐ Reads: 🎤The Love Remedy – Elizabeth Everett* 🎤Borders of Infinity & Ethan of Athos – Lois McMaster Bujold ( #MyWordAsVorkosigan with @alexandravasti) 🎤Talk Sweetly to Me – Courtney Milan The Partner Plot – Kristina Forest* Lake of Souls – Ann Leckie* What Is Love? – Jen Comfort* Obsession at the Opera – Delphine Roy* 4⭐ Reads: 🎤The Duchess – Sophie Jordan * 🎤In Want of a Viscount – Lorraine Heath* 🎤A Governess’s Guide to Scandal and Seduction – Manda Collins* 🎤Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord – Sarah MacLean Thirst – Marina Yuszczuk* A Duke Once Lost – Jane Maguire* The Phoenix Bride – Natasha Siegel* Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief – Lawrence Wright For Real – Alexis Hall* One Dangerous Night – Cathy Maxwell* The Emperor and the Endless Palace – Justinian Huang* The Mars House – Natasha Pulley* The Dance of Desire – Delphine Ross* A Sweet Sting of Salt – Rose Sutherland* The Undermining of Twyla and Frank – Megan Bannen* The Last Tale of the Flower Bride – Roshani Chokshi The Sweet Blue Distance – Sara Donati* The Lady He Lost – Faye Delacour* Min Zemerin’s Plan – Katherine Addison (not pictured) Someone You Can Build a Nest In – John Wiswell* Can't Spell Treason Without Tea - Rebecca Thorne* Link to reviews, episodes, and more in bio. *Complimentary ARC or finished copy #CourtneyMilan #LoisMcMasterBujold #AlexandraVasti #BookReview #HistoricalRomance #SFBooks #LorraineHeath #podcast #BooksBooksBooks #romancenovel #romancelandia #historicalromance #bookstagram #bookworm #booksofig #booksofinstagram #readersofig #readersofinstagram #amreading #booklife #romancestagram #bookaddict #romancereaders #romancebooks #instabook #booknerd #romancereader
My Word As Vorkosigan Episode 6: Ethan of Athos, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Today Alex and Meg are riding solo as we talk about Ethan of Athos. For the first time we get a book in the Vorkosigan saga without a single appearance by a Vorkosigan! Instead, we have one of Bujold's most "speculative" SF concepts: Ethan Urquhart is an obstetrician from the planet Athos. By "obstetrician," we mean that he services the uterine replicators that create the Athosian population... that is 100% men. When the ovaries that produce the required female portion of the genome begin to senesce and the first replacements that arrive on-planet are unsuitable, Ethan is asked to go to Kline Station to personally inspect the new ovaries before acknowledging receipt. When he gets there, he's not only faced with prejudice from stationers, but immediately kidnapped by Cetagandans and rescued by one Commander Elli Quinn of the Dendarii Mercenaries. He also meets a young man named Terrance Sea whose role remains unclear in the above kidnapping and rescue... Link in bio to find all of the episodes in the My Word As Vorkosigan limited series! Also join us in the Bujold Book Club on Discord. Alexandra Vasti's Halifax Hellions are out now as ebooks and on audio! #MyWordAsVorkosigan #EthanOfAthos #LoisMcMasterBujold
My Word As Vorkosigan Episode 5: Borders of Infinity, by Lois McMaster Bujold. We chatted with @max.gladstone for our upcoming episode on Borders of Infinity, a collection of three novellas featuring young Miles Vorkosigan: "The Mountains of Mourning," "Labyrinth," and "The Borders of Infinity." To me, novellas feel like a quintessentially SF literary form. Like a fairytale or morality play, an SF novella focuses in on one theme, one character, one event; then that character emerges changed on the other side. Bujold writes her novellas perfectly: they could each stand alone, but they also contribute a little more to the Milesian character study of the series and introduce new characters who will change the course of his life. Link in bio to find all of the episodes in the My Word As Vorkosigan limited series and to subscribe to the podcast so you'll be the first to be notified when this one is released! You can also join us in the Bujold Book Club on Discord. The latest entry in Max Gladstone's Craft Wars series, Wicked Problems, is out April 9! #MyWordAsVorkosigan #BordersOfInfinity #LoisMcMasterBujold #MaxGladstone
February 2024 Faves I read 29 books in February. Historical romances, rereads (indicated with a red star), a sci fi, and an essay collection topped off my faves. Swipe for reflections and stats - from @the.storygraph and some excellent excel work by @yourbookishbff #historicalromancenovel #historicalromancenovella #nomorenonfickynonsense #mywordasvorkosigan #courtneymilan #brotherssinister #thehalifaxhellions #ACharmofMagpies #TheLoyalLeague #VeronicaSpeedwell #lindenlist #romancenovelreview #scifireading #scifiromance #scifireview #romancereading #romancerecommendation #romancereview
February reading round-up! In February, we released 8 podcast episodes and read 24 books for pleasure. Here they all are, with our rankings: 5⭐ Reads: 🎤The Chemistry of Familiar Objects – Alexandra Vasti 🎤At First Spite – Olivia Dade* 🎤The Warrior’s Apprentice & The Vor Game – Lois McMaster Bujold ( #MyWordAsVorkosigan with @alexandravasti) The Tainted Cup – Robert Jackson Bennett* The Brides of High Hill – Nghi Vo* The Book of Ile-Rien – Martha Wells* Talk Sweetly to Me – Courtney Milan (episode TK!) The Love Remedy – Elizabeth Everett* (episode TK!) Waiting for the Flood – Alexis Hall* Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen & Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance – Lois McMaster Bujold (recording our penultimate episodes for My Word As Vorkosigan!) 4⭐ Reads: 🎤The Paper Boys – D.P. Clarence* 🎤Bride – Ali Hazelwood (ft. guest host @ali_learns_to_read!)* 🎤To Woo and to Wed – Martha Waters* 🎤Accidentally His – Sabrina Jeffries* 🎤 The Breakup Tour – Emily Wibberly & Austin Siegemund-Broka* Letters to Her Love – Katherine Grant* The Duke’s All That – Christina Britton* Dragonflight – Anne McCaffrey To Cage a God – Elizabeth May* The Framed Women of Ardemore House – Brandy Schillace* The Woman in Me – Britney Spears Lady Avely’s Guide to Truth and Magic – Rosalie Oaks* Earth Earls Are Easy – Catherine Stein* Lady Charlotte Gets Her Man – Violet Marsh* Trouble – Lex Croucher* The Temple of Persephone – Isabella Kamal* In Want of a Viscount – Lorraine Heath* (episode TK!) 3⭐ Reads: Night for Day – Roselle Lim* Highland Heartbreaker – Steffy Smith* Not Rated: CatStronauts: Digital Disaster! – Drew Brockington (karmic retribution for my dad taking my book recommendations means I take my daughter’s recommendations sometimes) Link to reviews, episodes, and more in bio. *Complimentary ARC, ALC, or finished copy #CourtneyMilan #LoisMcMasterBujold #AlexandraVasti #BookReview #HistoricalRomance #SFBooks #podcast #BooksBooksBooks
“War is not its own end, except in some catastrophic slide into absolute damnation. It’s peace that’s wanted. Some better peace than the one you started with.” 🚀 Miles Vorkosigan has become a Fleet officer, at long last. And yet, despite his many hopes, he’s assigned not to the gloriousness of ship duty but to be a weather man at an isolated outpost. Of course it dissolves into shenanigans involving sunken trunks, clogged drains, wa-was and mutiny. Shuffled into Simon Illyan’s department, Miles heads off onto what *should* be a routine intelligence mission that turns into…something else entirely. Think Roman Holiday. I adore The Vor Game. It’s absolute batshit shenanigans the whole way through, with so many things that happen that you are just left going “what?” and also just nodding your head because *of course* that would happen just like that. After a very roundabout way, by the end of the novel Miles finds his calling and it is not, surprisingly, giving Simon Illyan a premature heart attack (although that’s a feature not a bug to Miles and his superiors). But throughout the hilarity, there’re deeper layers. Of wars and warriors. Fathers and sons. Legacy and legacies. Good orders and bad. And finding your purpose, or just learning to embrace your lot in life—and, if that lot doesn’t suit, changing the rest of the world to fit you instead. 🚀 “But your most insidious chronic problem is in the area of, how shall I put this precisely, subordination. You argue too much.” “No I don’t!” Miles began indignantly, then shut his mouth. 🚀 I’m rereading the Vorkosigan Saga as part of the My Word as Vorkosigan group read with @PlotTrysts. If you’re interested in reading this groundbreaking classic sci-fi series, join us! #mywordasvorkosigan #thevorgame #militaryscifi #bookphoto #bookreview #vorkosigansaga
My Word As Vorkosigan Episode 4: The Vor Game, by Lois McMaster Bujold. We are joined by R.E. Stearns/@r_e_stearns to discuss The Vor Game. We have officially moved into the Miles Vorkosigan portion of the Saga. Miles has made it into the Imperial Service, and like all of the other cadets, wants ship duty. But to get there, he'll have to spend time as the weatherman at "Camp Permafrost," an infantry training ground on an island in the middle of nowhere... Link in bio to find all of the episodes in the My Word As Vorkosigan limited series! Also join us in the Bujold Book Club on Discord. And R.E. Stearns's Shieldrunner Pirates series, featuring a sapphic couple who set out to join a troop of space pirates, is out now! #MyWordAsVorkosigan #TheWarriorsApprentice #LoisMcMasterBujold
My Word As Vorkosigan Episode 3: The Warrior's Apprentice, by Lois McMaster Bujold. We are joined by Lynn Buchanan/@lynnwrites to discuss The Warrior's Apprentice. The first two books in the series, Shards of Honor and Barrayar, focused on Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan. The Warrior's Apprentice is our first introduction to Miles Vorkosigan, their son, as a main character. Miles has a lot to live up to, considering his parents, and several readers have commented that they were nervous about starting this new stage of the series. He manages to win us over whether we like it or not, in much the same way that he falls into adventures even when he doesn't go looking for them. (Although to be fair, he goes looking for them quite a bit of the time.) Link in bio to listen to the episode! Also join us in the Bujold Book Club on Discord. And make sure to add Lynn's upcoming debut, The Dollmakers, to your TBR. It's releasing in August, 2024! #MyWordAsVorkosigan #TheWarriorsApprentice #LoisMcMasterBujold #BookReview #BookRecommendation #MustRead #scifibooks #scifi #sciencefiction #bookstagram #sciencefictionbooks #scififantasy #scifibook #fantasybooks #booklover #scifiworld #scifigeek #bookworm #scifinovel #readersofinstagram #booknerd #bookstagrammer #bookish #bibliophile #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #podcast #romancenovel #LynnBuchanan #AlexandraVasti
“Your forward momentum is going to lead all your followers over a cliff someday.” He paused, beginning to grin. “On the way down, you’ll convince ‘em all they can fly.” He stuck his fists in his armpits, and waggled his elbows. “Lead on, my lord. I’m flapping as hard as I can.” —Arnie Mayhew We fast forward 12 years after Barrayar’s epilogue to see 17 year old Miles Vorkosigan, freshly flunked out from the Imperial Service Academy’s entrance exams due to a training accident. Stymied by his efforts to join the military, Miles convinces his parents to let him take a trip to Beta colony to visit his grandmother. Over the course of several months, Miles accidentally buys a ship, stumbles into an interplanetary war, becomes a mysterious arms dealer and adopts a mercenary outfit. I first read this book in high school when I was just younger than Miles, some twenty years ago. Miles, I think, made me a little military mad. If he can do it, why, I can do it. Born of brittle bones and short stature, to great parents and an even greater grandfather, Miles has a chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder. This outsized boulder drives more than a few of his decisions, and his ambition. It’s funny how my views on Miles in his early years has changed over the years, from awed admiration to aghast horror to something of Tung’s raised eyebrow and “what the hell” attitude. Miles is the dictionary definition of “Well, that escalated quickly.” It’s exciting—and frustrating—to see him get into situations, and even more enjoyable to watch him wriggle his way out. I’m rereading the Vorkosigan Saga again as part of the My Word as Vorkosigan group read with @PlotTrysts. If you’re interested in reading this groundbreaking classic sci-fi series, join us! #mywordasvorkosigan #barrayar #scifi #militaryscifi #bookphoto #bookreview #vorkosigansaga
#ValentinesBookSwap!! This was my first time participating in one of the #BookSwapWithELK swaps from @littlebonelibrary, @emilyinthearchives and @the_naptime_reader, and I had a great time! I was matched with @abrittreads and she did such an amazing job picking out books and goodies that I liked! As you probably know if you follow our feed, the special podcast series #MyWordAsVorkosigan is ongoing, and it has made me realize that I want a full Vorkosigan collection. Britt helped me locate one of the last books I needed to buy, Cryoburn! (Look at the cover - apparently it came with a "Free CD-ROM" back when it was first published!!) She also got me one of my favorite historical romances of the past few years, The Duke Who Didn't (featuring one of my favorite virgin heroes of all time). She also got me my favorite candies (gummi candy and Reese's Take 5 - yes, please!) and some other special goodies. Like I said, this was my first swap, but I had so much fun shopping for Britt and then getting some long awaited surprises in the mail it certainly won't be my last. Happy early Valentine's Day to all who celebrate!!
January reading round-up! In January, we released 9 podcast episodes and read 24 books for pleasure. Here they all are, with our rankings: 5⭐ Reads: 🎤Snowbound with the Suffragette – Ginny B. Moore* 🎤The Suffragette Scandal – Courtney Milan 🎤Shards of Honor & Barrayar – Lois McMaster Bujold (first two episodes of #MyWordAsVorkosigan with @alexandravasti Half a Soul – Olivia Atwater Heartless – H.G. Parry* The Chemistry of Familiar Objects – Alexandra Vasti (episode TK) Borders of Infinity, Diplomatic Immunity, Cryoburn, Demon Daughter, Falling Free – Lois McMaster Bujold (gotta get in all the LMB for My Word As Vorkosigan!) 4⭐ Reads: 🎤Her Adventures in Temptation – Megan Frampton* 🎤Red String Theory – Lauren Kung Jessen* 🎤Second Duke’s the Charm – Kate Bateman* 🎤When the Viscount Wanted Me – Lydia Lloyd* 🎤Seduction at the Chateau – Delphine Roy* Accidentally His – Sabrina Jeffries* (episode TK!) Bride – Ali Hazelwood* (episode TK!) The Breakup Tour – Emily Wibberly & Austin Siegemund-Broka* To Woo and to Wed – Martha Waters* (episode TK!) Much Ado About Nada – Uzma Jalaluddin* The King & Vi – Shana Galen* Rivers of London: Here Be Dragons – Ben Aaronovitch Unladylike Rules of Attraction – Amita Murray* Spare – Prince Harry Island Witch – Amanda Jayatissa* A Garter as a Lesser Gift & The Threefold Tie – Aster Glenn Gray A Most Unsuitable Duchess – Alivia Fleur* For He Can Creep – Siobhan Carroll (not pictured) 3⭐ Reads: Never Blow a Kiss – Lindsay Lovise* The Dragon and the Jewel – Virginia Henley Link to reviews, episodes, and more in bio. *Complimentary ARC or finished copy #CourtneyMilan #LoisMcMasterBujold #AlexandraVasti #BookReview #HistoricalRomance #SFBooks #PrinceHarry #podcast #BooksBooksBooks #romancenovel #romancelandia #historicalromance #bookstagram #bookworm #booksofig #booksofinstagram #readersofig #readersofinstagram #romance #amreading #booklife #romancestagram #bookaddict #romancereaders #romancebooks #instabook #booknerd #romancereader
My Word As Vorkosigan Episode 2: Barrayar, by Lois McMaster Bujold. We are joined by Aliette de Bodard/@aliettedb to discuss Barrayar, what we are calling the second book in the Vorkosigan series. The first book in the series, Shards of Honor, introduced us to some of the best characters in SF, Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan, who fell in love and committed themselves to public service on the planet Barrayar. This book begins the day after that one ends. It takes a hard look at what happens after the HEA, especially for a couple in the public eye. Our conversation focuses on motherhood, especially motherhood in a culture that valorizes violence; how Bujold writes disability; and how much we love Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan. Link in bio to hear the episode and to join us in the Bujold Book Club on Discord. #MyWordAsVorkosigan #Barrayar #LoisMcMasterBujold #BookReview #BookRecommendation #MustRead #scifibooks #scifi #sciencefiction #bookstagram #sciencefictionbooks #scififantasy #scifibook #fantasybooks #booklover #scifiworld #scifigeek #bookworm #scifinovel #readersofinstagram #booknerd #bookstagrammer #bookish #bibliophile #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #podcast #romancenovel #AlietteDeBodard #AlexandraVasti
Today we're bringing you an installment of #Authors101, this time featuring Aliette de Bodard. She is a Vietnamese-French-American author who writes SFF in English. She's written historical fantasy in settings as diverse as the Pre-Columbian Aztec Empire, post-apocalyptic turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century Paris, and precolonial Vietnam. Her science fiction is set in the "Xuya Universe," a world that imagines a far-future empire influenced by Vietnamese culture. Her current project is the Xuya Universe Romances, that are all f/f romantic space operas. So far they include a pirate leader (who's also a pirate ship - it's complicated) who marries one of her prisoners and a riff on the Count of Monte Cristo where a "traitor" to the regime returns to take her revenge on the people who condemned her. Have you read any Aliette de Bodard? Do you have a favorite? If you haven't, where is the most interesting setting you've ever read? And keep your eye on my feed, because Aliette will be talking with us about Barrayar on our next episode of #MyWordAsVorkosigan! #AlietteDeBodard #sapphicromance #ScienceFictionNovel #ScienceFictionBook #QueerRomance #SciFiRomance #sff #bookstagram #bookworm #booksofig #booksofinstagram #readersofig #readersofinstagram #amreading #booklife #bookaddict #SFreaders #sfreader #SFbooks #SFbook #sffbook #sffbooks #romancenovel #scifinovel #scifibook #sciencefiction #ffromance
My Word As Vorkosigan Episode 1: Shards of Honor, by Lois McMaster Bujold. We are joined by @elizabetheverettauthor to discuss the first book in the Vorkosigan series. The book features some of the best characters in SF, Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan. In one sense, it's definitely a romance: the relationship between Cordelia and Aral is front and center, as these slow burn enemies-to-lovers from different planets struggle to find their HEA. It's also a military science fiction novel that takes a hard look at wartime ethical issues. We had a great time talking with one of our favorite authors about one of our favorite authors! Link in bio to hear the episode and to join us in the Bujold Book Club on Discord. #MyWordAsVorkosigan #ShardsOfHonor #LoisMcMasterBujold #BookReview #BookRecommendation #MustRead #scifibooks #scifi #sciencefiction #bookstagram #sciencefictionbooks #scififantasy #scifibook #fantasybooks #booklover #scifiworld #scifigeek #bookworm #scifinovel #readersofinstagram #booknerd #bookstagrammer #bookish #bibliophile #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #podcast #romancenovel #ElizabethEverett #AlexandraVasti
“From spaceman to caveman in three days,” she meditated aloud. “How we imagine our civilization is in ourselves, when it’s really in our things.” 🚀🚀🚀 Cordelia Naismith wasn’t sure what to expect when she’s taken prisoner by Aral Vorkosigan. Certainly not a four-day long tromp through an uncharted planet. Definitely not a rampant mutiny and complex barbarian politics. And absolutely not again, in the midst of full-blown war and even more political machinations, all more horrible than she could have ever imagined. She didn’t anticipate an impossible love story, in all this. Goodreads tells me the last time I read this book was in 2012. How? How? Granted, it was one of my least favorite Vorkosigan books, but on this reread, I don't know what happened but I liked it a whole hell of a lot more than I did in 2012. Is it because I am now solidly between both Aral and Cordelia's ages instead of my mid-twenties? Is it because I've now been out of the military longer than I was in, and now I see all of the horrible complications of war, especially war driven by a patriarchal society that ships its boys off in their babyhood? I love Cordelia. I love how empathetically she sees the world. How she never loses sight of the humanity in everyone. How she slowly changes the people around her to see the world as she sees it. How she problem-solves. How she changes Aral for the better. How she is a hero and so brave, and it is because of her fear that she is a hero and brave. 🚀🚀🚀 "One doesn't expect a thirty-four-year-old to fall in love like an adolescent. Quite an unexpected - gift, at my age. Even more unexpected at forty-four, I gather." 🚀🚀🚀 I'm rereading the Vorkosigan Saga again as part of the My Word as Vorkosigan group read with @PlotTrysts. If you’re interested in reading this groundbreaking classic sci-fi series, join us! #mywordasvorkosigan #shardsofhonor #scifi #militaryscifi #bookphoto #bookreview #booksbooksbooks #vorkosigansaga