Sunday Sunday Sunday!

Posted by: Redhead on: July 21, 2021

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This Sunday at 2pm Eastern/11am Pacific, LIVE on YouTube, I’ll be hosting SNAP JUDGEMENT!

Organized by Apex Magazine, SNAP JUDGEMENT is a rapid fire critique show.  Think The X Factor, but for slush short stories.  As I read short story excerpts, the judges decide if they’d keep reading, or stop and not accept the story. Followed by a short critique period, of why they’d want to read more, or not.  I’ll have seen the excerpts before, but the judges won’t!   Here’s a link to the Apex Magazine website with more info!

it’s live television*   who knows what might happen!

*it’ll  be live streamed on YouTube. is that TV now?

Been reading lately too! 

Finished all three Machineries of Empire books by Yoon Ha Lee, and the series was even better this time. Since I wasn’t so focused on the main story, I was able to pay attention to the little details. and oh, so many little details! This trilogy is sharp, smart, and so many plans with plans. The subtlety! the long game!  Not to mention that Lee’s writing is unbelievably good  and I love ALL the characters so much! Except Kujen, I still think he’s an absolute bag of dicks. The first time I read this trilogy, I am pretty sure I didn’t pick up on anything that was actually happening in the last book.  sometimes, eh, sometimes I’m just not that bright. and I am always, always distracted by fashionable men. 

so yeah, if you haven’t read the Machineries of Empire trilogy, the books are Ninefox Gambit, Raven Stratagem, and Revenant Gun, I highly, highly recommend them.  some pretty rough scenes at the end of Revenant Gun, just saying. 

On a lark, I picked up Mostly Void, Partially Stars: Welcome to Night Vale Episodes 1.  This book is transcripts of the first season of the Welcome to Night Vale podcast, before authors Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor knew Night Vale was going to become a thing.  Night Vale is a small town in the desert where all conspiracy theories are true, and all the weird shit that happens is completely normal. this is 100% my brand of absurd. 

I know someone has already done so, and is famous for doing so, but I want to read these episodes out loud. The wonderful thing about prose that was designed from day one to be read out loud is the sentences are short. Easy to read without running out of breath. Not too much to stumble over. This book is so fun, that I’ve gotten to the point where I’m avoiding reading it, because I don’t want to run out of episodes. I really enjoy reading these scripts! and there is illustrations! and notes from the authors! it’s so fun!

I think next I’m going to reread either The Narrator by Michael Cisco, Finch by Jeff Vandermeer, or China Mountain Zhang by Maureen McHugh. I’m in a reread mood, what can I say?

 

 

And speaking of absurd, hubs and I are watching Rick and Morty. it’s delightfully absurd and offensive. If you’ve never seen Rick and Morty, imagine if South Park was actually funny, and then make the main character a jaded mad scientist and the other main character his nervous grandson, and you’re sorta getting close. My favorite part of the show is when something happens and my husband laughs.  If you think you might have a sense of humor similar to mine, give Rick and Morty a chance.  totally OK to skip the first couple episodes of season 1. 

We’re only in season 2, so don’t be putting any spoilers in the comments! 

 

in other news, the hostas are nearly done blooming, the viburnum (I think that’s what it is at least) is trying to bloom but isn’t getting enough sunlight, the purple coneflowers are still beautiful, and the yard has an amazing variety of mushrooms because nature is the coolest.  I hacked down that stupid thorn bush in the backyard.  the back screen door needs to have a new screen put it, so after watching a dozen youtube videos I feel confident we can fix it ourselves!

what have you been reading lately? 

seen any cool movies or cool tv shows lately? 

does Snap Judgement sound neat?