Recent reading
Sep. 25th, 2017 12:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luzulaRethinking Climate and Energy Policies - New Perspectives on the Rebound Phenomenon, edited by Tilman Santarius, Hans Jakob Walnum, and Carlo Aall
Oof, this was a slog--this book is decidedly not popular science, and nobody would read it for the literary qualities. But the subject felt important to learn about. The rebound phenomenon is when you try to reduce energy or resource use typically by a more efficient manufacturing process. But you don't actually save as much as you thought you would, and sometimes you even consume more energy/resources afterwards. The reasons can be, for example: 1) consumers save money which they respend elsewhere, 2) producers save money and use it to expand production, 3) an initial fall in demand for the energy/resource lowers the price, which then increases demand. Etc, there are many ways this can happen. From the POV of capitalism, this is of course not a bug but a feature because it makes the economy grow. But from an environmental POV it is definitely a bug in affluent societies.
Daughter of Mystery by Heather Rose Jones
I needed lighter reading after the previous book, and this was just perfect! I enjoyed it a lot. It is lesbian Ruritanian romance, though it's heavy on plot and the romance is a slow build. But that suited me well, since I'm not into the instant-lust sort of romances. I thought the worldbuilding was very interesting--for example, there is a "magic" system based on rituals and prayers to the Catholic saints. And the characters are very likeable, I was hooked from the start. Very fade-to-black though, I could've done with something sliiightly more explicit and with some more UST beforehand--it's like it didn't take enough advantage of the long time it had to build up the romance. Or maybe it's just that I'm used to fic standards? *g* I did like their relationship otherwise. Anyway, recommended! And I will be reading the sequels.
I also started reading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo for fannish book club, but I dropped it after a third. /o\ I just didn't like the violence. Not that I have a problem with violence in books if it feels necessary and is handled well, but here...for example, it is said of one of the main characters that he would have broken the arm of anyone who clapped him on the shoulder in congratulations. Er, what? If he actually would have broken someone's arm for something meant kindly (even if unwanted) then I don't much care about him as a character. If it's just an exaggeration then I don't enjoy that style of writing. I dunno, the others finished this one and enjoyed it, but I got hung up on this.
Oof, this was a slog--this book is decidedly not popular science, and nobody would read it for the literary qualities. But the subject felt important to learn about. The rebound phenomenon is when you try to reduce energy or resource use typically by a more efficient manufacturing process. But you don't actually save as much as you thought you would, and sometimes you even consume more energy/resources afterwards. The reasons can be, for example: 1) consumers save money which they respend elsewhere, 2) producers save money and use it to expand production, 3) an initial fall in demand for the energy/resource lowers the price, which then increases demand. Etc, there are many ways this can happen. From the POV of capitalism, this is of course not a bug but a feature because it makes the economy grow. But from an environmental POV it is definitely a bug in affluent societies.
Daughter of Mystery by Heather Rose Jones
I needed lighter reading after the previous book, and this was just perfect! I enjoyed it a lot. It is lesbian Ruritanian romance, though it's heavy on plot and the romance is a slow build. But that suited me well, since I'm not into the instant-lust sort of romances. I thought the worldbuilding was very interesting--for example, there is a "magic" system based on rituals and prayers to the Catholic saints. And the characters are very likeable, I was hooked from the start. Very fade-to-black though, I could've done with something sliiightly more explicit and with some more UST beforehand--it's like it didn't take enough advantage of the long time it had to build up the romance. Or maybe it's just that I'm used to fic standards? *g* I did like their relationship otherwise. Anyway, recommended! And I will be reading the sequels.
I also started reading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo for fannish book club, but I dropped it after a third. /o\ I just didn't like the violence. Not that I have a problem with violence in books if it feels necessary and is handled well, but here...for example, it is said of one of the main characters that he would have broken the arm of anyone who clapped him on the shoulder in congratulations. Er, what? If he actually would have broken someone's arm for something meant kindly (even if unwanted) then I don't much care about him as a character. If it's just an exaggeration then I don't enjoy that style of writing. I dunno, the others finished this one and enjoyed it, but I got hung up on this.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-09-25 02:36 am (UTC)I have just (barely) started Six of Crows. It seems that everyone I know either loved it, or bounced off it hard!
(no subject)
Date: 2017-09-25 08:40 pm (UTC)Looking forward to your verdict on Six of Crows!
(no subject)
Date: 2017-09-25 08:44 pm (UTC)I requested Margerit Sovitre/Barbara Saveze for femslashex, so you never know...
(no subject)
Date: 2017-09-25 08:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-09-25 05:14 am (UTC)(In defence of - can I assume it's Kaz Brekker? It's been some time since I read them, so I don't remember the specific scene, but it'd make sense if it's Kaz, because he's got some pretty big issues with other people touching him due to later expanded upon childhood trauma. They are all so very, very broken, the characters in this book.)
(no subject)
Date: 2017-09-25 08:47 pm (UTC)Yes, IIRC. I dunno, I feel arm-breaking is still excessive, but anyway it was the style as much as anything, like I got the impression that the book somehow felt that this behavior was cool. But it seems to be a book that divides people! Some love it and some bounce off it. : )