Recent reading

[luzula]

The Commodore, by Patrick O'Brian

By now, reading the next book in this series feels like coming home. ♥ Also, I love O'Brian's writing style so much. I am coming to realize how much writing style means to me in general when I read--I like to stop and savor the words in a sentence when they really work for me. Anyway, it was good to get back to England and meet Sophie and Diana again! I hope there's more of them in the next book.

Crucible of Gold, by Naomi Novik (seventh in the Temeraire series)

Delightful and readable as always! My geekiness is coming out in unexpected ways, though. I can't help wondering if it's ecologically reasonable that Britain (for example) could support so many, so large predators. I mean, those dragons eat huge amounts of cows and sheep. In this book, they state that there were around 10 million humans in Britain in the 1801 census, and of course I went and checked if this was the same as the real number, which it is. Of course, this is going to more than triple by the year 1900, so obviously there's room for more people productivity-wise (although hmm, was Britain self-sufficient in food then?). At any rate, breeding cows for the dragons would have to take up a lot of extra land and resources.

Er, but apparently I'm prepared to accept that such huge creatures can fly with a little hand-waving about air-sacs. *facepalm*

Audiobook-wise, I am halfway through Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and enjoying it a lot. More on that when I finish.

Fic-wise, I can recommend London Light, by tweedisgood. It's a lovely snippet of Holmes/Watson/Mrs. Hudson, which I've never considered before, but now I want more of it. Speaking of Sherlock Holmes, is there fic where Holmes and ACD argue about the existence of the supernatural? I can't help but think it would be amusing.

Comments

[feroxargentea]

Is The Commodore the one that opens with the Ladies of Aubreyad section, where the men come home and find their womenfolk doing just fine without them? I love that bit.

Of course, this is going to more than triple by the year 1900, so obviously there's room for more people productivity-wise (although hmm, was Britain self-sufficient in food then?

Not entirely sure but weren't they importing a fair bit of corn from Ireland? (and went on doing so right up into the Potato Famine?) There was still a lot of unused/underused land though - if clever Chinese-taught dragons could introduce agricultural reforms earlier than actual-history, production would be way up. ...Air sacs, riiight :-)

[luzula]

Oops, missed this comment...

Is The Commodore the one that opens with the Ladies of Aubreyad section, where the men come home and find their womenfolk doing just fine without them?

Hmm, I don't know? Diana is pretty much gone until she turns up in Ireland at the end. I'm really looking forward to hopefully seeing more of her in the next book.

Not entirely sure but weren't they importing a fair bit of corn from Ireland? (and went on doing so right up into the Potato Famine?) There was still a lot of unused/underused land though - if clever Chinese-taught dragons could introduce agricultural reforms earlier than actual-history, production would be way up. ...Air sacs, riiight :-)

Some googling tells me they were importing grain from the US and canned meat from Australia, too...so yeah, probably not self-sufficient. Yeah, I can see dragons as being concerned with food supply, especially since they live so much longer, and so would have an incentive to think further than a few years forward. If they're not distracted by shiny baubles, of course. *g*

[feroxargentea]

Oops, might have been thinking of the next book, Yellow Admiral, sorry! At least it's not much of a spoiler. (btw if you read Yellow Admiral, do go read my fic "Conjugating amare" - you might be one of the half-a-dozen or so people who would appreciate it *g*)

[luzula]

It's on my to-read list! I'm saving it up for when I've read the next book. : )

[noeon.livejournal.com]

Er, but apparently I'm prepared to accept that such huge creatures can fly with a little hand-waving about air-sacs. *facepalm*

*giggles* Perfect!

PS If you need more beta listening help, let me know!

[luzula]

I know, right? I'm so selective with the suspension-of-disbelief.

And thanks, I'll keep it in mind!

[garonne.livejournal.com]

Oh, if only that Holmes and ACD fic existed! Now that you've put the idea into my head, I really, really want to read it.

[luzula]

ACD: But, but, look! There are photos of the fairies. Photos don't lie!
Holmes: Seriously, that's your standard of evidence? There are photos of cardboard cutouts...

*giggles*

[garonne.livejournal.com]

:D That made me laugh out loud!

[luzula]

Now if just someone would make it into a proper fic with Victorian language and all... : )

[tweedisgood.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the rec!

As to your last question, I've written a couple where they *encounter* the possibly supernatural, but there's only cursory debate. It would be interesting, I agree.

[luzula]

Yeah, it would be interesting--I am intrigued at how ACD could write a character who was such a critical thinker and not be one himself.

[hurry-sundown.livejournal.com]

Luz, have you read 21 yet? That's the fragment that was left behind when O'Brian shuffled off his mortal coil. It was pretty awesome, and very sad-making, because I wanted to know what would've happened next.

Here's a funny though. There's a plot-point in 21 that involves one of Stephen's myriad talents, or rather his lack thereof. And I was thinking to myself, Why is he worried about that? He's awesome at that. Except he's not. He's only awesome at that particular thing in a fic I read recently. *facepalm* (I hope that made sense. I don't want to say exactly what it was in case you haven't read 21 yet.)

[luzula]

No, I haven't! My next one is The Yellow Admiral, but I'll save it up for a bit. I am sad that I'll soon have read all of them...but OTOH I'm sure they hold up to rereading.