Mid-July 2023 - all the tiny things

Hi Everyone,

I’m heading out soon to camp for a couple of nights on a near by island. It’s only a short ferry ride away from the island I live on, but it feels remote as there are no amenities there—I’ve already packed 8 litres of water. My plan is to hike a bit (apparently there’s an old WWII bunker somewhere in the woods there) and to sit on the beach with a book. It should be nice.

Since it’s summer I’m spending less time writing and more time outside. The plus side is my garden is looking awesome, the down side is my writing projects have slowed.

Tiny Things

On my agenda this summer is to take my daughter to our local miniature world. I was her age when I first went there (I suspect it hasn’t changed since then), and seeing all the tiny things inspired me to start making tiny things of my own. There’s something fascinating about a tiny version of an everyday thing.

What I’ve been enjoying lately

Season 2 of Star Trek Strange New Worlds is currently running so I’ve dipped into the streaming service that shows it which has also given me access to Star Trek Lower Decks. It’s animated so I’d always brushed checking in out off. But, I now have to admit Lower Decks is fantastic and laugh-out-loud funny. I highly recommend it.

We’ve also been watching the TV adaptation of Lovecraft Country. I read the book by Matt Ruff recently (and book 2 is sitting on my shelf). The show is a decent adaptation (although they got rid of two of my favourite things from the book). It fits into the monster horror genre, but the monsters are less horrific than what the people are doing to each other.

I’ve read a series of mediocre fantasy books lately, none worth mentioning. I will recommend the time travel caper Just One Damn Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor, it’s a fun adventure and there are laugh-out-loud funny moments.

I just started The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley. Years ago I read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by her and really enjoyed it. So far this one is pulling me in, I suspect I’ll finish it on the beach this weekend.

Do you have any summer reading plans?

Along the same vein of tiny things, I’ll leave you with this video. The tiny things woven into the artwork are fascinating.

Cheers,

Jeannette

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My Books:

Hope is the Thing With Feathers - direct or from the shops

Encoded Orbits

• Fractured Orbits - direct or from the shops

• The Alien Algorithm - direct or from the shops

Settler Chronicles

• Lunar Escape - here or here

• Day 115 on an Alien World - direct or from the shops

• Far Side of the Moon - direct or from the shops

• Abandoned Ships, Hijacked Minds - direct or from the shops

• The Alien Artifact - direct or from the shops

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