In an effort to cut down on spending

[conuly]

I'm going through my kindle books and reading all the ones I know I never finished (or, in some cases, started) because, when I got them, I settled down to re-read instead.

First up: The Goblin Emperor. Verdict? Not too bad, and I want a sequel, though I suspect, based on the title, that the upcoming second book is not going to feature the eponymous Emperor as a viewpoint character. Don't tackle if you can't stand a book full of archaisms - "an" instead of "as if", old fashioned t/v distinction in English, occasional old-fashioned verb endings. Also think carefully about starting it if you can't read stories with people setting an excessively high standard for themselves and then beating themselves up (in the voice of their old abuser) whenever they think they've fallen short, that is, all the time. (This is not a complaint, but if this is something you do for much the same reason it might be better not to immerse yourself in another person doing it. Then again, maybe you'd think you can relate.)

Anyway, I liked it so much I read it twice, which is just the same error that got me into this mess in the first place (especially when you consider that I only thought I had it in my library but it turns out I never bought it, so I had to buy it to start. But this time I'm going to read something legitimately in the backlog.)

*********************

15 Easily Overlooked Plaques You’ll Be Glad You Stopped to Read

Supercut of white boys winning board games in commercials (As noted in the text, the person who posted it has done no rigorous work to show that this is more common than commercials showing white boys losing to people who aren't white boys, but it's interesting to watch, like slideshows of women laughing while eating salad alone.)

These states want you to eat more roadkill

A Clever New Strategy for Treating Cancer, Thanks to Darwin

The Trail Ink Left Behind

Who invented the dishwasher, windshield wiper, caller ID? Women created these 50 inventions.

Can She Lay the Building Blocks to Help the World's Sewage Pay Off?

Stop Calling It “Ethnic Food”—and More Tips on How to Talk About Eating

Who Should Own Photos of Slaves? The Descendants, not Harvard, a Lawsuit Says

Urban, Suburban, and Rural: We’re More Alike Than We Think

Do All Roads Lead to Congestion Pricing?

Retailers want to go cashless. But opponents say that's discriminatory

How New York’s Bail System Makes Innocent People Less Safe

The Constant Mistreatment of Women in GAME OF THRONES is Exhausting

Women are 30 percent less likely to be considered for a hiring process than men

Prosecutors drop all charges against Jussie Smollett

Louisiana’s Disappearing Coast (When I told my mother, a year or two ago, that Louisiana was losing a football field of land every day, she didn't believe me. She did believe me when I looked it up to confirm and found out I was wrong - it's every hour. She didn't want to believe me, but she had to. I didn't want to believe it either.)

Flooding poses potential risk for 1 million private wells

Migrants are their country's best and brightest (Just like Terry Pratchett told us)

African migration: Five things we've learnt

For migrant youths claiming abuse, U.S. protection can be elusive

Gay, transgender detainees allege abuse at ICE facility in New Mexico

Eager to Court Jews (and Fracture Democrats), Republicans Push Bills on Anti-Semitism

How Poor Americans Get Exploited by Their Landlords

Father of Sandy Hook shooting victim found dead in apparent suicide, police say

Most Terrorist Victims Are Muslim

Does the American Military Have a Problem With Far-Right Extremism?

A #MeToo Nightmare in the World of Competitive College Speech

Comments

[rahirah]

I'm pleased to hear there will be a second book in that series, even if it's not about the same characters. When it came out, there were rumblings about it being a stand-alone forever.

[conuly]

I'm happy too, though I do like being able to have a book that can be a stand-alone - I've been burned too many times with books that obviously ought to have a sequel (or a third/fourth book in the series to wrap everything up) but never made enough sales to get one. (Or, the author died/is suffering from crippling illness/has writer's block and never wrote one.)

[siderea]

How Poor Americans Get Exploited by Their Landlords

This was kind of disappointingly weak. The entire upshot: the profit margins landlords get on rental properties in poor areas of unpopular (low-rent) cities is disproportionately higher (by a lot) to the profit margins on rental properties in other areas of the same cities; but the reverse in popular (high-rent) urban areas.

Which is all good to know and have established, but does not seem to deliver much on what is promised in the headline. I don't think most people are down with equating "exploited" with "high profit margins".

[conuly]

I am thoroughly down with that, along with things like "payday loans", "furniture rental" (seriously wtf is with furniture rental prices?), and anything else where the poor are paying more for less. (Or, proportionately more, at least.)

[marahmarie]

I am, too, and you'd be surprised (or maybe not) how insidious the draw of rentals are, and not just for furniture. I live with someone who to this day (not that he does, because he understands I'll pitch a fit straight from hell itself, should he ever) - and after years of me explaining the math to him - still thinks renting say, a stereo system or a computer or a couch or even a lamp for a weekly amount works out to a good deal (and has rented numerous items in his Pre-Me past and told me how high the cost of each item was, so).

And it's like, how did how I just explained to you that that $600 off-the-shelf computer that cost you maybe $1200 (or more!) to rent over a certain amount of time not impress you with its disastrous costs? I mean, it's math, which the guy's not bad at, to start with.

But. When you don't have the money for some object of your desire all at once, I guess paying more than it and three of its copies would ever cost you to buy outright can still sound better than not being able to have that object at all.

[conuly]

That last is exactly how they suck people in. You need a bed, a kitchen table, chairs to sit on... and while you might not need a television, it's understandable that you might really really want one.

[shadowkat]

I loved "The Goblin Emperor" as well. One of the better fantasies that I've read over the years. The archaisms oddly, didn't bother me. Nor did I notice. At least I don't remember them. Also...I think I could relate to the main character setting an excessively high standard for himself...sort of do that myself. So I found it oddly comforting. (Weird, I know.)

I need to through my Kindle books too and read all the ones that I've not started or never finished prior to buying more -- but, I keep buying more. Sigh.
I need a chaperone when it comes to buying books. I get bored or depressed? I buy books.

[conuly]

When I was an adolescent, every time my mother was pissy at my sister or just generally unhappy she'd take me to the B&N and we'd do some serious book shopping.

Many years later I brought it up to Jenn and she said that the reverse never happened. I don't know what to make of this fact.

/tangent

[thewayne]

There's a science fiction bookshelf of classics available via Project Gutenberg, and Storybundle released a Space Opera bundle today for pretty cheap.

[conuly]

"Pretty cheap"!

(I'm wary of sci-fi classics. If they're not too male-centered then the science has moved on too much for me to enjoy them.)

[thewayne]

I totally understand, and very good point.

[alessandriana]

TGE is one of my favorite books. The first time I read it, I finished, flipped back to page 1, and started all over again. I think I've read it probably 6-8 times through at this point?

[conuly]

It's derailing my "read all the books" plan, I can say that.