#434

Currently reading Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture, by Kyle Chayka. Pretty good so far. Pretty apt.

As is the time-honored, factually pointless way, we present books I have read since last I spoke of it:

About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks, by David Rooney (this book was GENIUS, extremely should-read stuff)

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: II: Greater Good and III: Lesser Evil, by Timothy Zahn, Last Shot, by Daniel José Older, Shadow of the Sith, by Adam Christopher, Alphabet Squadron: II: Shadow Fall and III: Victory's Price, a High Republic comic storyline I forget about (not the story or anything, just the deets of provenance--this is the problem with library books as opposed to gathering everything unto yourself like a crazed magpie), Master and Apprentice, by Claudia Gray (without question one of the number-one Star Wars book I've ever read) probably more Star Wars books that aren't springing to mind at the moment. Dang.

Still got some of the comics I had checked out from the library plus a couple more books, those will all be next. Yes, at least one of them is a Star Wars book.

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Let me just say that these new Star Wars books are fucking great. Fucking awesome. Some are better than others, the adultification of a couple are a little uneven and just slightly cringe, but all of them are inventive, fresh, daring, beautiful, fun, and fucking awesome. The Thrawn origins and the Alphabet Squadron trilogy were the absolute cream. 

Master and Apprentice was unbelievably pleasurable, I could barely breathe for joy reading that mother. It was pure love letter to everything I adore about prequels-era Star Wars and Star Wars as a whole (except Rebel stuff, evidently), and Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi have been my favorite Jedi for the longest time. Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, and Ahsoka Tano have more recently risen to these great heights in my heart; Legends Jedi are a whole other tier. My relatonship with Luke has always been complicated, though his greatness in both Legends and Canon is undisputable. Shadow of the Sith was an excellent bolster to his new pedigree, and I loved him in Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker. He's somehow never been my favorite, but they have accomplished something remarkable with Luke Skywalker, not to mention Leia's unbridled dopeness.

Anyway! Claudia Gray's Qui-Gon is a masterpiece. A virtuso inhabiting of the character that was some of the most solid, believable, gorgeous, human writing I've ever been struck by. 

Blessings! Blessings, all of you! Dang. Gotta read 'em all, man. Gotta get my own copy of Master and Apprentice. 

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Ok cool sure yeah I love Star Wars so much WHATEVER BYE

--JL