Bujold had so much fun putting Penric in drag and in prison in the previous books, so she decided to do it again! Another fun installment of this series, with some character development that I did not expect. 

A short, illustrated collection of poetry on themes of uplifting Black voices, acknowledging Black rage and heartbreak, but also Black creativity and brilliance. Woven through with references to Audre Lorde, Phillis Wheatley, Maya Angelou, Nina Simone, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ida B Wells, Beyoncé, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Baldwin, Nikki Giovanni and the Combahee River Collective. I don't usually sit down and read a poetry collection in just two sittings but this one I did! 

This historical fiction novel is set in onion-like layers of frame narratives which greatly increased my enjoyment of the text. Originally written in Mandarin, this novel presents itself as a translation of a 1938 Japanese manuscript written by Aoyama Chizuko, a 26 year old writer touring Taiwan. She yearns to experience the flavors and sights of true Taiwan, at the time a colony of the Japanese Empire. She is assigned an interpreter, a younger woman born and raised on the island whose Japanese name is Chizuru. Aoyama is immediately entranced by her native guide, who is charming, well-read, multi-lingual and poised beyond her years. Aoyama has a famously enormous appetite, which she describes as a monster living in her stomach, and she is amazed when she discovers that Chizuru can match her bite for bite. Aoyama begins to make offers to Chizuru that far outstrip the professional relationship they are meant to have, but she is never able to see the gulf of class, wealth, and colonial power which separate them. Her blindness to her own privilege is the central tragedy of this tale. Supporting this story are two layers of translator's footnotes, an introduction by a fictional researcher, and multiple afterwards by others who supposedly discovered the text and translated it for new audiences. Much of this paratext is omitted in the audiobook; this is a book you MUST read in print. I recommend it, especially if you are interested in translation, luscious food descriptions, and unrequited lesbian yearning. 

Bujold really said "sex work is work" in this one, and continues to explore how the various identities of Penric's demon can come to the fore and assert their own personalities. This one picks up days after Penric's Mission ends so sure to read them in chronological order, not publication order! 

It's so funny to me how in this novella series Bujold apparently decided "I am only writing the parts of the story which interest me" even if that leads to a book both beginning and ending almost mid-scene. I'm not complaining! I really loved this installment in the Penric and Desdemona saga. But Penric has now completed two full university degrees, yet Bujold completely skipped over all of his schooling, to instead tell the bite-sized mysteries and shenanigans he gets up to between jobs and schools. In this one Penric attempts his first undercover spy mission. It goes terribly. Within less than a day of landing in a new country he has been discovered and thrown in prison. It becomes clear that his jailers plan to execute him without a trial. This feels like the first time Penric has really seriously faced potential death since the first book. I enjoyed how this one unwound; very curious how much of a time jump I'll get between this book and the next one. 

For the first time since he faced down a Saint to beg permission for Desdemona to remain in the mortal realm, Penric has to work closely with a Saint once again. On the eve of Bastard's Day in the canal city of Lodi a man with a manic, ascendant demon is on the loose. Penric must find him, before the chaos of demon magic spirals completely out of control. This is a short one even for this novella series but I enjoyed it a lot as a carnival romp. 

What a beautifully illustrated, perfectly paced, quiet, and affirming story this is! In a rural valley, a hall of Pegasus-riders live and train to watch over the shepherds, farmers, weavers, and fisher folk who live below. One ambitious young rider chaffs at the "easy" assignment they are given and the way their are viewed by their peers. A reckless decision leads to an injury to their winged horse; grounded for now, the pair accompany a young violinist on a multi-day journey to deliver goods to a nearby city. Both young people struggle with their own doubts and insecurities, and yet are able to see each other with such clear, generous, and loving eyes. Both of them come into a confidence in who they are and what they want to do in their world. This comic book made me want to draw more comic books. O'Neill makes it look effortless! 

This slim volume meditates on gift economies verses extractive capitalism, through the lens of the serviceberry, an abundant sweet berry bush or tree native to the north and eastern third of what we are currently calling the United States. I have never encountered this plant in the wild but I would like to! As always, Kimmerer writes with a gentle compassionate wisdom about how we could live more kindly and lightly and communally on this earth. She invites the reader to think about where gift economies exist in their own lives, and my mind immediately went to fandom and the gift economy of ao3 and podfic; to friends doing clothing swaps, to carpooling, and little free libraries. I want to keep this awareness awake and think about where I can nurture gift economies in my own life. 

Mid-covid lockdown, a transman meets a teacher he'd previously learned from in a women's self defense class. The teacher is newly divorced and out as gay. The transman invites him into an arrangement of violent sexual role playing. Both men act out fantasies and traumas, but they do not both survive the pressures of 2021. This is a heavy, dark, brutal comic novella. I am constantly in awe of now much story and meaning and gender and complexity Blue Delliquanti is able to pack into a one shot. Go into this one with some care. 

Ten years ago, nearly all of the men and boys from Molly's village left to fight in a great war. The women left behind organized their own new leadership and defense, a troop of trained rangers who ride rams out into the wilds to protect their valley. Molly and several of her friends have been training for years, and now get to go on their first few missions. Errands that seem simple quickly reveal strange and dangerous complexities- witches who control animals, bandits, and a huge wolf made of something other than flesh stalk the moors and mountains. This is a fun adventure story, but I wish it had been printed at a larger size. In France, where this was first published, it was printed at a beautiful 9.5 x 12.5; here in the US it's printed at 5.8x9 and so all of the text and art looked a bit small and cramped to my eye. Alas!