rain, rain, clouds, rain

From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweilerby E.L. Konigsburg.  I picked this up to count towards one of the multiple classics I need to read still this year.  (Someone says it's a classic, so I'll take it.)

I'm pretty sure that a teacher read this to us in grade school.  I don't think I read it, because I don't recall reading it more than twice (something I did with every book that fell into my hands).

The characters, and in particular some of their dialogue, aren't terribly believable, but the story is pretty fun.  Still a good read for kids, and I can see why I liked it as a kid and remembered bits.

The long way to a small, angry planet by Becky Chambers.  I reread this for a recent library program.  If anything, I enjoyed it more on this second read.  I noticed more plot-important details that, the first time through, got swallowed up among all the other world-building details.

The summage solution by G.L. Carriger.  I cannot recommend this book, nor am I going to continue to follow this author.  This title doesn't contribute much to the world of romance novels.  The intimate scenes tend more towards explicit rather than erotic and, although both main characters have detailed back stories and reasons to be nervous about a relationship, the majority of their difficulties come from not talking to each other, making assumptions, and jumping to conclusions.

Life along the Silk Road by Susan Whitfield.  I liked the set-up in this book, how each chapter focuses on one person to give details about that area and time for a person of that station.

It would have been very useful if the author included close-view maps throughout, instead of the one continent-wide map at the front.  The given map had cities and features labeled, but these labels did not reflect the areas discussed in the text.  This map was also very difficult to read-- small, gray scale, with text over features (mountains, rivers) making it not really at all useful.  The author also used historical names for places, when known, which seems like it would only add difficulty and be mostly accessible to scholars or extremely well-read amateurs, not general readers.

Soonish: Ten emerging technologies that'll improve and/or ruin everything by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith.  I am interested in finishing this, but it had a hold.  Understandable and fun.  Not sure what's up with the formatting-- frequently there is a big chunk of blank space after a paragraph, which the reader might assume is the end of the chapter, but it's because there is a cartoon at the top of the next page, with additional text after that.  The illustrations aren't so sensitive that they make sense one or two paragraphs out of context.

Sherlock, series 1-4, with Benedict Cumberbatch.  I binged this so hard.  I wasn't really sure what the big deal was, but this is super well-done, very engaging.  There was, intermittently throughout the series, some experimentation with storytelling style and shooting style that were a little to weird and didn't always work.  Most of the plots were well-told, although a handful were rather obvious.  Several plot points are still unanswered-- hopefully they make the 5th series and tie everything up.