Could You Repeat That? CCIX

I have read SO MANY BOOKS in the past six months. 

  The Jasmine Throne, Tasha Suri
"You will not understand this, Princess Malini. But there is a subtle pain the conquered feel. Our old language is nearly lost. Our old ways. Even when we try to explain a vision of ourselves to one another--in our poetry, our song, our theater masks--we do so in opposition to you, or by looking to the past. As if we have no future. Parijatdvipa has reshaped us. It is not a conversation, but a rewriting. The pleasure of security and comfort can only ease the pain for so long."

Lady Derring Takes a Lover, Julie Anne Long
"Lady Derring," he said, with grave, ironic pity that made her expression immediately alter to one that suggested she'd like to do him a small violence.

Hello Stranger, Lisa Kleypas
"Touch me again," Ethan growled, "and I'll kill you with this."
West drew his hand back instantly, his gaze falling to the utensil in Ethan’s grip. "That's a spoon."
"I know."

The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley
I could have written to you without including them; after all, the things that happen between lovers are lost to the work of history anyway. But I wrote it down because I need you to bear witness to it. He was here, by and with and in my body. He lives in me like trauma does. If you ever fall in love, you'll be a person who was in love for the rest of your life.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Toshikazu Kawaguchi
A moment ago she had been grasping at straws. Now she had a piece of straw in her hand, and she wasn't going to let it go.

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, Mariana Zapata
I'd loved the hell out of her before I knew better, and that thought made my heart ache for kid-Vanessa, who hadn't known any better for a while.

These Burning Stars, Bethany Jacobs
They fought how Chono prayed: with reverence for the particulars of form and function, and when Esek tried to overpower them by crowding close, all she saw was a whirl of spinning wood before the stave cracked against her shin.

Love Hacked, Penny Reid
He was looking at me--half desperation, half determination, half animosity.
That's right. He was looking at me 150%.

How the Dukes Stole Christmas, Tessa Dare, et al
"We've discussed this. Murdering the duke is not a plan."
"Of course it isn't," Kat replied. "Murdering the duke is an objective. A plan requires specifics."

Could You Repeat That? CCVIII

I have read many books in the past six months. Many. Many. Books.


How to Solve Your Own Murder, Kristen Perrin
I glance at the bedside cabinet, and there is in fact a heavy brass candlestick there. Why didn't I grab that when I needed a weapon? Did I learn nothing from all those rounds of Clue with Jenny?

Birding with Benefits, Sarah T Dubb
"There's something about realizing that the birds have been here all along, and all I have to do is learn how to pay attention. It's sort of like reading, I think, looking for those little gems in the text, the words and phrases that call out to you, weaving together the story."

Silent Parade, Keigo Higashino
"The important thing is this: What you believe to be the truth and the actual truth are not necessarily the same thing. Until you know the difference, you can't make the choice that will decide your fate."

Killer Kung Pao, Vivien Chien
"I hate to ask this, but do you think that June is guilty?"
Her eyes slowly met mine, and there was a sadness in them that hurt my heart. "The stories do not sound good," she repeated.

Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio's Journal, Rick Riordan
Today was super fun, except for the near-death experience.

Donut Fall in Love, Jackie Lau
@RyanKwoksFather followed only one "person" other than Ryan. Cookie Monster.

Liars, Sarah Manguso
Without meaning to, I began to restrict the material in my diary. I had become unable to articulate certain feelings. And so my body became their cultivation dish.

A Lady by Midnight, Tessa Dare
Given a choice between watching Miss Kate Taylor weep and offering his own liver to carrion birds, he would have had his knife out and sharpened before the first tear rolled down her face.

Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
Even at the time, I realised this couldn't be right, that this interpretation didn't fit with the rest of the lyrics. But that wasn't an issue with me. The song was about what I said, and I used to listen to it again and again, on my own, whenever I got the chance.

The Maid and the Crocodile, Jordan Ifueko
"The point of these lessons is that you learn to use your voice--"
"I am using my voice now, oga: Shut your mouth and listen," I snapped, which stunned him into blank-faced silence.

How to End a Love Story, Yulin Kuang
He stares at the woman on his porch, whose hidden layers he's just starting to unravel, and he gets a sharp, strange sensation in the back of his lizard brain that he might be in some danger here, which is ridiculous.

Could You Repeat That? CCVII

Bits from the last 70 books I read (including a bunch of graphic novels and cookbooks).

Shards of Honour, Lois McMaster Bujold, x2
"He wanted to know what I saw in you. I told him..." he paused again, and then continued almost shyly, "that you poured out honor like a fountain, all around you."
"That's weird. I don't feel full of honor, or anything else, except maybe confusion."
"Naturally not. Fountains keep nothing for themselves."

Provenance, Ann Leckie
"So I follow. I am afraid, I do not want to be out of the world, it is terrible to be out of the world. But I look, I see. I hear, I listen. You are very strange, Ingray Human, but you do not seem to live in endless pain and sorrow. No, you swim here as though this were the world, and live your very strange life as though all was right and well."

Valley Verified, Kyla Zhao
"What's Catan?" Zoe interjected.
There was a beat of silence. Then Austin said, "Please tell me you're kidding about not knowing the greatest game in the world."

New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian, Freddie Bitsole & James O Fraioli
If you asked me to make you a dish, I'd ask what kind of wine or beer you like, and how much cream you add to your coffee. These defining bitter flavors tell me all the information I need to know about what your favorite foods might be, and how you like them prepared. This is what I mean when I say cooking is a way of communicating.

A Refiner's Fire, Donna Leon
Brunetti often succumbed to the temptation to joke about the excessive beauty of the city, but tonight he was silenced by it and could do no more than look upon it with wild surmise and turn towards home again.

Miscellaneous Movie Moments LXXXV (April/May/June 2022)

After my Oscars binge, I vowed to take a break from prestige films and go all in on my most beloved genre, science fictiony action. It's been a good three months, let me tell you.



Death on the Nile (2022) | Stargate: Continuum | The Batman | Spider-Man: No Way Home | The Lost City | Turning Red | Moonfall | Casablanca | Galaxy Quest | Ghostbusters: Afterlife | Ron's Gone Wrong | Dog | Moneyball | Morbius | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore