Explicating Elle

For the last two weeks I've been (very) slowly moving into a new apartment. I received the keys for New Place on the 1st, and my lease for Old Place isn't up until the end of August, so I have plenty of time to be leisurely about this. The two places are also only two blocks apart, which means for the little stuff I can just walk. So of course, it's hotter than the depths of hell and more humid than the Pacific Ocean (hyperbole, but only barely). After freezing at work sitting under the A/C, I…

My favorite genre to read and write is urban fantasy. Many people have differing definitions of what that is, meaning sometimes Harry Potter ends up on urban fantasy lists, despite it being children's fantasy. But to me, urban fantasy is fantasy and mystery genres mixed together, usually set in a big city. Example series include October Daye by Seanan McGuire, Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka, Iron Druid by Kevin Hearne, and, important for today's review, The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher1. Storm…

It's the end of the first half of the year, can you believe it? It feels like just yesterday we were all amazed we had made it to 2025, and now we're half way through 2026! And it's Tuesday, which means it's Top Ten Tuesday. Quick reminder about what this is: The Atsy Reader Girl's Top Ten Tuesday has a prompt every week to share books. In honor of the end of 2026 half number 1, the prompt today is to pick ten books releasing anytime from July 1 – December 31 of this year that you’re the most…

After work today I watched a mediocre Mark Wahlberg action flick called Infinite. It was released in 2021, and stars, as I said, Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor on opposite sides of a philosophical (and real) war between two factions of people who remember their past lives. As an action movie, it's just fine. Nothing special going on. Wahlberg is more hit than miss usually with his acting, and this one is definitely a miss; stiff, unemotional, with the worst voice-over read I think I've ever…

To start, I am 100% against large language model AI(LLM/AI). In art, in music, in writing, in coding, in chatbots, in everything. I am in the middle of transitioning from Google to DuckDuckGo because of the recent change to Google's search, because I do not want LLM/AI answers or to even see an "Ask AI" button anywhere. I have done some research, when I have the time and energy, and everything I learn about LLM/AI data centers is appalling. And it's not just the environmental impact that I am…

This week, the The Atsy Reader Girl's Top Ten Tuesday prompt was to create a wishlist of books and post it so that blog readers could (theoretically) purchase them for you, a bit like a wedding or baby registry. I don't feel comfortable with that, so instead I'm going to list off books I've read that I don't own (either because I got it from the library or I got rid of it in one of my much-regretted purges) but would like to someday. So, a list, but not a wishlist. :) Dance of Thieves by Mary…

Fifteen minutes from my apartment is a stretch of rural highway like a green corridor. It runs between a forested hill and the winding river weaving in and out of view, with the occasional farmhouse and dirt road branching off. The speed limit is 50, but when I drive along this five mile stretch I go somewhere between 40 and 45, because it's so pretty and I want to drive slow enough to see everything. About five miles from where I get on this particular rural highway, there is a historical…

When I was a child, one of my favorite authors was Bruce Coville1. I didn't read everything of his, as I was at the mercy of the public library (and this was before interlibrary loans were easy), but I had Into the Land of the Unicorns and Song of the Wanderer2 and would read them over and over again. But the topic of this post is actually a different book of Coville's. This one was an audiobook I got from the library, so I never had my own copy, called The Dragonslayers. The audiobook, on…

Tuesday! This is quickly becoming my favorite day, because it means I can blog about books1. Quick reminder about what this is: The Atsy Reader Girl's Top Ten Tuesday has a prompt every week to share books. This week, it's handwriting on the cover, which was surprisingly hard. Books I have read are marked with an asterisk. Let's go! 2 The List Bunny by Mona Awad* Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi* The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett* I Own You One by Sophie Kinsella* To All the Boys I've…

Yesterday was the last day of school here, and as is tradition, we had a fourth grade walk-out where the whole school lined the halls and cheered on the graduating fourth graders as they left the building for the last time. I did not watch last year, as it was my first year and I was busy getting ready for teacher check-out the next day, so I didn't get a chance to watch it then. But I did this year, since I was more on top of things and I had connected with more students. First, the…

I'm a very small blog, and a normal day is one or two visits, maybe five, with between 17 and 23 being my biggest days. I'm okay with slow and not-so-steady growth, since I'm not here to make money or be influential, just to talk about story-telling and my life to anyone interested in reading. So when I logged on this morning and saw I had received over a hundred visits since I had left work the day before, I was a little gobsmacked. After some digging, I found that a very kind person had…

Frances from What the Fran posted yesterday about editing and prose, and how they enjoy long, flowing, possibly convoluted sentences to get lost in. It reminded me of my own preferences with writing and reading. I love that longer style too, with long lines weaving around meaning like a snake around a branch before reaching the final punctuation. Shorter sentences feel choppy to me. Incomplete. Like there's something missing. Which is why I can't write for a Middle Grade audience. I have a MG…

I've been thinking of participating in The Atsy Reader Girl's Top Ten Tuesday for the last couple of weeks, and this week's prompt felt perfect, since I'm trying to get back to my bookworm self that I've lost over the years1. So let's go! The List (in two sections)Books I own The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin - I watched the movie a long time ago and have always wanted to read the book, but for some reason have never gotten around to it. Brisingr & Inheritance by Christopher Paolini -…

I have this thing where I don't want to be a bother, to the point that it's a flaw and actively interferes with my life. Which is great (sarcasm.) I don't know where it comes from or how to came to be, but it's this feeling of "but what if I bother them?" that prevents me from making phone calls for myself, or asking for things that I want or need. And sometimes it's irrational. For example, I need to make a dentist appointment, but my brain says "but what if I bother them" even though that's…

Some time ago I bought a blind date with a book from Barnes and Noble. I don't normally do that because there's too much of a gambling element, and I'm pretty picky with my reading. But this one time I did, and the book, once unwrapped, sat on my shelf for a long time (mood reader here). Anyway, I picked it up on Sunday after staring at my shelves for far too long. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley is a murder mystery where you don't learn the identity of the victim until the big climax where the…

I will be the first to admit that I haven't read a lot of classical/canonical literature. I much prefer genre fiction to the kind of literature on reading lists or taught in college classes1, and in college I became a pro at reading just enough to B.S. my way through discussions or quizzes (don't be like me). When someone told me "you should read this", I often had the reaction of "well now I don't want to", even if it was a book I had been thinking about or already had on my shelf. But two…

I have a bookcase in my living room where I keep my favorite books. It's a bit like a trophy case, placed where visitors can see, but also like a favorite piece of art placed prominently for maximum enjoyment. I love looking at the bookcase, at my favorites, and thinking about rereading them, when I have the time. Here are some of my favorites. The Southern Reach trilogy - Almost anything by Jeff VanderMeer, really1. I love his prose, and the unique way his mind sees the world. He writes in the…

Yesterday a blogger I enjoy reading (The Wry Writer) wrote a lovely reading-related post based around the 5 Ws. I love learning about other people's reading habits! Her post inspired me to do the same, since I'm trying to read more, in an effort to stave off the phone and visual media addition. So, thank you, Alex, for sharing, and here we go! WHO - Name an author you would love to have a 'One to One' with.I think the author I would most love to sit down with is Jeff VanderMeer. He's a New…

I have a quirk. It's a little brain quirk that I have known about for almost ten years now, but haven't figured out a work-around yet. The quirk has caused a bit of chaos in my life, derailed projects, and generally been a nuisance. It's not a major issue like a diagnosable mental disorder that is debilitating (how alliterative), but sometimes the struggle is real. The quirk is, when I tell people my plans (or make too much plans) there's a 90% chance my brain decides I don't need to do those…

I've been thinking about what's blocking me from writing and about goals. It's been an interesting exercise, interrogating myself about my desires and lack of forward momentum. I had wanted to be published by my 40th birthday, and that is looking less and less likely. I turn 37 this year, and on average the traditional publication process takes 2 years from signing with a publisher to the book being on the shelf, not including the time it takes to acquire an agent and the time it takes for the…