Gym Reads Poll #2: What should I read next?
It’s that time again. In the last poll, folks chose Karen Joy Fowler’s Sarah Canary. I’m almost done with that particular book, and I will have some thoughts about it when I complete it on Monday. Heck, there may even be a podcast about it (and The Book of the Dun Cow, which I finished about a week and a half ago).
Gym Reads Poll: What should I read next?
Fun fact: I read when I’m at the gym. In fact, I really like reading while cycling, since it distracts from the monotony of doing a repetitive motion and it lets me do some much needed “fun reading.” Recently, I decided to tweet a picture of a pile of random books to ask folks online what I should read. I ended up reading The Book of the Dun Cow (1978) by Walter Wangerin, Jr. And I’ve quite enjoyed it. But now I need another book, and I like the idea of making that process random and fun.
Negative Bookstore Experiences: Why Bookstores Should Be Like Libraries
A few weeks ago, I flew out to California to visit family and friends, pursue some possible job opportunities, and get some much needed decompression from the stress of PhD life. During that time, I stopped at a Barnes & Noble to pick up a book recommended to me by a friend. Unlike previous stops at one of the big chain stores — whereat the cashier tries to sell me on their membership card, to which I always respond “no, thanks” — I had a far less pleasant experience. It went something like this: Cashier: Are you a Barnes & Noble member? Me: No, but… Cashier: *judgmentally* …you know what the membership card gives you, right? Me: I do, but… Cashier: *dismissively* …Alright then. $15. What I had meant to say was this: I understand what the card provides, but Barnes & Noble closed down the only store within a 30-40 minute drive of my house, so I don’t get the opportunity to browse there anymore. And I don’t like browsing for books online, which means I don’t buy books all that often from any online bookstore. Sorry.
2016 WISB Awards: The Winners
Now that awards season is in full swing, it’s time to release the winners of the 2016 WISB Awards. As with every year of the award, the winners are selected from my reading and viewing experiences throughout 2015 and during my annual Hugo Awards reading binge. As such, the long list included works published decades ago. Unlike previous years, the 2016 WISB Awards included a long list, which you should check out to see all the great stuff I enjoyed. You might also check out the 2016 Hugo Awards Reading/Watching List, which includes works from my original list and works suggested by readers. As with every year of the awards, these selections are based entirely on my own tastes, which are imperfect, narrow, and weird. The winners are below the fold. Some of the categories include runners up; the categories that do not contained far fewer entries on the long list, and so including a short list would basically have included the long list anyway.
Shaun’s Rambles 013: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (w/ Special Guest Mareen Kincaid Speller)
Geek references + the Dominican Republic = instance classic. In this episode, Maureen Kincaid Speller joins me to discuss the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. We tackle the novel’s treatment of geekery, its exploration of masculinity, romance, and the coming-of-age narrative, and much more! I hope you enjoy it! https://media.blubrry.com/shaunsrambles/archive.org/download/ShaunsRambles013TheBriefWondrousLifeOfOscarWao/ShaunsRambles013–TheBriefWondrousLifeOfOscarWao.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
2016 WISB Awards Long List
It’s that time of year: time for me to release some kind of list of things I loved in 2015. This year is different, though. This year, I’m releasing a long list for the WISB Awards, and it is from this list that I’ll select the winners of my annual WISB awards, the jury-less, vote-less monstrosity of an award that is only of value to myself. Since I cannot include my own work on the following long list, I’ll include those works here: Best Fancast: The Skiffy and Fanty Show (Shaun Duke, Julia Rios, Paul Weimer, Mike Underwood, Rachael Acks, David Annandale, and Jen Zink); Totally Pretentious (Shaun Duke and David Annandale) Best Non-Fiction Work: Speculative Fiction 2014: The Year’s Best Online Reviews, Essays, and Commentary edited by Renee Williams and Shaun Duke (Book Smugglers Publishing) If you feel there’s a glaring ommission, let me know in the comments. I haven’t read everything there is to read (obviously), and it’s likely I’ve missed a lot of really great work. Now here’s the official 2016 WISB Awards Long List: