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Listening to the audiobook: While I was charmed by the idea of Vivs story and about this loveletter to coffee, I'm finding both story and characters a bit flat and without layers. I love fantasy or sci fi that gives some revolutionary impulse or that include ideas about different/better societies and inacts revolutionary ideas. I can't find this in this novel, rather it expresses more conservative and capitalist ideas. At least there are some queer vibes, and I like the way different people meet and become friends and a small community.

Alice Fox is a textile artist who works with material they grow on their allotment plot, they gather or find. They make fiber from plants, string from nettles or garbage.

In 'Wild Textiles' Alice Fox portraits plants and materials, documents processes. And shows their works: pieces and bowls from leaves that are sewn together, chestnut shells that carry weavings, vessels from dandelion or paper strings, the gall sculpture series - works that got me excited, and longing.

It's such an inspiring book, inviting to take into account what is around, to play, to explore, and to make art. For me it opened up room for new thoughts about the relation of crafts and arts.

If you want to read 'A memory called empire' I recommend listening to the audiobook, Amy Landon's performance is great. I especially loved the read character of Three Seagrass

Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak is the second book in Charlie Jane Anders' Unstoppable YA sf trilogy. This is an incredibly solid second book of a trilogy. (This book is up for a 2023 Lodestar award as part of the Hugo awards.)

I think part of it is that Tina takes a backseat and Rachael and Elza get more of the spotlight. (Aside from the book covers sequentially being one, two, and then three headshots indicating which number of the book it is, this second book cover features Rachael and Elza vs the first book cover showing Tina, which I think is also an indication of the emphasis here.) This book has yet more uncomfortable feelings and processing and relationship renegotiation and grief and trauma.

I honestly enjoyed this book better than the first, because it's thematically very tight. It says it right on the tin, but dreams being bigger than heartbreak is woven through everything. There are so many dreams that are crushed (artist, pacifist, princess librarian(!), space diplomat) and everybody has to pick themselves up through heartbreak and keep on keepin' on. There's a large cast of characters and I love how much care and growth each of them get.

Other small points I loved: * princess librarian training had big Gail Carriger's Finishing School series vibes * a disasterous polyam-related conversation * "knowledge is pain" really hits home in the age of doomscrolling, along with "if you know the answer, it becomes your responsibility" feelings * Kez gets to be genderfluid and gets new pronouns every chapter

I'm starting the final book of the elemental logic series, I have frantically been reading the past 10 days or so. I'll turn reading speed to slooooow (no I won't). I want to know what happens next, but I don't want to part from everyone I've grown so fond of

oh I can't remember when I've been that immersed in a book series and a small community of choice the last time. And I"ve so much affection for every single one of those characters. After a really frustrating start with the series because I could't find access to the story. Who would have thought.

I enjoyed this. It's a story written by a number of authors, who write a couple of chapters each. Obviously well edited too, as I didn't notice abrupt changes in style from chapter to chapter.

quick online library read in between, it's a cute bi* coming of age story, as far as I can tell after the first 50 pages or so.

I like Becky Albertalli for queer coming of age books and representation of queer, especially bi* people, people of color, fat and disabled folks, but especially for strong representation of bi * characters and writing about bisexuality. Also: comfort reading!