Recently Quoted

• Now, I consider that the phrenologists have omitted an important thing in not pushing their investigations from the cerebellum through the spinal canal. For I believe that much of a man’s character will be found betokened in his backbone. I would rather feel your spine than your skull, whoever you are. A thin joist of a spine never yet upheld a full and noble soul. I rejoice in my spine, as in the firm audacious staff of that flag which I fling half out to the world.

  an excerpt from Moby-Dick, written by Herman Melville in 1851

• Who said anything about justice? There's no such thing. But injustice is as much a part of life as the weather.

  an excerpt from Paths of Glory, written by Humphrey Cobb in 1935

• Miss Furnival, on his thus repeating his offer, again chose to affect a belief that he was not in earnest. I am inclined to think that she rather liked this kind of thing. There is an excitement in the game; and it is one which may be played without great danger to either party if it be played cautiously and with some skill. As regards Augustus at the present moment, I have to say—with some regret—that he abandoned all idea of caution, and that he showed very little skill.

  an excerpt from Orley Farm, written by Anthony Trollope in 1862

Recently Noted

• Kind of delightful to have a story where the POV / newbie character is the damaged one, joining a crew of a really functional emotionally healthy people that all have and embrace their differences. It’s like one of those side characters who meets the Penderwicks for the first time (my model of an aspirational family )!

  an note about A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, written by Becky Chambers in 2016

• This was on my 'recommended by somebody but I forgot who' list for a long time, and I finally gave it a spin. Fun zippy space adventure that feels like it started out as a Firefly fanfic. Episodic adventures, one big arc, centered around a functional interesting ‘found family’. Really like all the pleasure of Firefly, with episodic adventures and a framing narrative that’s about the newbie rich kid fitting into the crew AND the big interstellar conflict. But with fun alien species, AI, etc. It’s light hearted without being silly, unserious without being flippant. And I mean unserious in a good way!

  an note about A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, written by Becky Chambers in 2016

• Scifi / body horror? Narrative that was off-putting and opaque. Maybe not my thing.

  an note about Lessons in Birdwatching, written by Honey Watson in 2023

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