Jenia (Женя) Yudytska
@schenior
Ukrainian & Austrian, Linguistics PhD 🤓 Applied sociolinguistics, multilingualism, language technology. Admin of two Ukrainian-refugees-in-Austria online communities. Mainly post about books and politics, in Eng, Ger, and Rus. [ˈʐɛnʲə] - she/her
Is it bonkers? Yes. Is it an amazingly fun anti-capitalist noir? YES. Extract: Skotch, our racoon freelance detective hero, runs into Tibbles the cat
34. Green City Wars - 4.5 ⭐ A noir of a racoon detective being tasked with finding a mouse with a big secret, in a near-future near-Vienna. So, SO fun. Ridiculous yet believable, tropey and touching. Herr Washbear, you have my heart. Only quibble: Wish there was a bit more "Austria" in it!
32. The Unicorn Hunters - 4 ⭐ Historical fantasy, of Anne of Brittany maneuvering for independence. It's slow but I enjoyed it. I love Arden's writing a lot, though this one doesn't match up to TBATN imo. As I studied Breton for a year during my MA it was special fun to remember a bit!
31. Careless People - 4 ⭐ A real page turner tell-all by a former FB employee, on their politics and internal culture. You have to take it with a very large grain of salt - the author is either extremely naive, kind of stupid, or severely underplaying her role - but it's a very gripping read.
Cracking me up that this is how the webpage for an article on critical AI literacies opens (on ScienceDirect).
A decade ago I made my brother a visual novel video game for his bday. Just found it again, cracking up. I really put effort into this!! The plot was that his then-gf (now-wife) was "kidnapped", we ran around Linz to find her. (Actually I was distracting him while they set up the surprise party.)
30. Stag Dance - 3.5 ⭐ A novella and three short stories, all exploring aspects of trans (and more broadly queer) experiences. I enjoyed all the stories individually, but as a collection it felt hm almost too concentrated thematically? You start noticing the repetitions of character archetypes.
The next train I could catch at Hannover, the ICE 72, was so insanely full that they asked us to get out. I got out, most didn't. So the conductor had to run around with the damn security to force people. Then allowed in like 10 per wagon. 😂 Meanwhile I calmly got the ICE 576 - now 1 min earlier!
Lmao remembered this news today, cos my dad can't log into his ID Austria and I can't figure out the problem. Their automatic email reply is truly fantastic.
29. This Is Also A Love Story - 5 ⭐ A journalist writing about the love (romantic, platonic) that exists amidst the tragedies - from Ukraine to Nigeria to Syria. Absolutely rec'd, I read it with tears in my eyes. A quiet resilience, reminiscent of A Paradise Built in Hell. Also - badass cover!!
Ich verstehe das nicht ganz - ich dachte, leider bekommen Leute mit sub. Schutz auf GVS schon jetzt keine FBH. (Abs 4 im Gesetz.) Bei den ukrainischen Vertriebenen ist die geplante Gesetzänderung eine Kürzung, aber wird bei subSchutz noch mehr gekürzt oder bleibt (the already shit) Status quo?
Check out who's playing Baldur's Gate 3 like half a decade late...... Check out who just got the option to turn into a BEAR!!!!!!!
Heute heard my bitching about no news and decided to give me news. Ob es stimmt? 🤷🏻♀️
With half an hour of reading time left, I'll round off the marathon with some more of Ada Palmer's Inventing the Renaissance and go to bed 😴 Overall: - 4 novels - 1 novella - 1 short story - 1 play - Some chapters of 2 nonfiction books A good run ☺️ Good night!
Read A Midsummer Night's Dream, to welcome in the summer 🥰 It's not my favourite of Shakespeare's plays, but I can imagine it being super funny as a performance!
I am not sure it's in any way possible to convey how insanely big and unwieldy this "Shakespeare's Complete Works" book is hahaha
27. Endling - ? ⭐ Three Ukrainian women kidnap a dozen western men to protest the mail order bride industry.. on 23.2022. I don't know what my feelings are tbh. Some parts I really loved. Some parts felt off to me - an incorrect nickname, greatest hits for a western audience.. Still, recommended.
17h39. Damn, there's no park benches left 😂😂 But I found a spot!
12h15. Good morning! Starting off by finishing off a novella that I kinda liked and kinda didn't like lol, ah well!
11h16. I can't keep my eyes open 😴 Gonna continue with this one tomorrow!
9h12. Finished up the *deciphered* scripts part of Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts. The Maya part and their number system lost me 😅 But very much looking forward to getting to the heart of it next!
24. The Seventh Function of Language - 5 ⭐ A semiotician gets murdered, leading to an unlikely duo (academia-hating cop and a linguistics PhD student) being put on the case! YO this book is absolutely bonkers. I was laughing my head off all the way through. Reccing any linguist to give it a shot.