Books, books, books

Okay, actually only two books, but "books, books" lacked something in the title department. I've been toiling away at this freelance project (which I should have finished on Tuesday. *cue heavenly hosannas*) but I have snuck a few pleasure-reading moments in over the past week or so.

#113 is The Changeling Plague by Syne Mitchell. I was in the mood for a little post-apocaplyptic sci-fi and found this among my library's paperbacks. An interesting what-if scenario that plays with genetic manipulation and disease vectors in the modern world. It also toys with the idea of self-creation and what, if any limits should be placed on it. It definitely raised some interesting questions. The characterization wasn't always robustly three-dimensional, but an interesting read nonetheless.

#114 is Tam Lin by Pamela Dean. I'd heard this one mentioned on and off over the years, but had never read it. An updated version of the Scottish ballad of Tam Lin, his mortal love Janet, and the Queen of the Fairies transplanted onto a upper Midwestern small liberal arts college (roughly modeled on Carleton) in the early 1970s and liberally interspersed with classic literature throughout the ages. This was thoroughly engrossing and I highly recommend it. In fact, I'll probably acquire my own copy so that I can read it again at my leisure.

Books, books, books

Okay, actually only two books, but "books, books" lacked something in the title department. I've been toiling away at this freelance project (which I should have finished on Tuesday. *cue heavenly hosannas*) but I have snuck a few pleasure-reading moments in over the past week or so.

#113 is The Changeling Plague by Syne Mitchell. I was in the mood for a little post-apocaplyptic sci-fi and found this among my library's paperbacks. An interesting what-if scenario that plays with genetic manipulation and disease vectors in the modern world. It also toys with the idea of self-creation and what, if any limits should be placed on it. It definitely raised some interesting questions. The characterization wasn't always robustly three-dimensional, but an interesting read nonetheless.

#114 is Tam Lin by Pamela Dean. I'd heard this one mentioned on and off over the years, but had never read it. An updated version of the Scottish ballad of Tam Lin, his mortal love Janet, and the Queen of the Fairies transplanted onto a upper Midwestern small liberal arts college (roughly modeled on Carleton) in the early 1970s and liberally interspersed with classic literature throughout the ages. This was thoroughly engrossing and I highly recommend it. In fact, I'll probably acquire my own copy so that I can read it again at my leisure.