[whine] I don't know what I wanna read next

[wisdomeagle]

I kinda want to read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, but it gets all strange at the middle-end, and I kinda wanna read Cryptonomicon but I might have had enough of Stephenson just now. I really wanna read Anathem, but I don't own it. Neverwhere is too sad. I wish I could figure out a way to read Robin Hobb's Assassin trilogy without reading the Fitz bits (spoilers: they're first person in Fitz's pov), and I'd just read the second trilogy, except TOO SAD. I would read Circleverse, or Tortall, except I don't have all of either 'verse and the bits I have are kind of random. I have some miscellaneous cyberpunk that I've never read, but I've never read it so I don't know if it'll suck and I suspect it'll have not enough girls. I just reread all my Gail Carson Levine but I kind of want to read it again because after stealth-princess-story of Diamond Age, or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer I want proper princess story, but I JUST read them... The Parasol Protectorate is too silly for what I want (I know I know Ella Enchanted is not too silly but Parasol Protectorate is.)

I 'spose it could be Old Kingdom time, in preparation for Clariel coming out for realio truelio sometime this year‽

I have more books that I have room for. Why aren't any of them exactly what I wanna read?

(Also, I should not be reading any books right now, as it is almost an hour past my bedtime, but... I don't want to fall asleep without starting something new.)

Want things that are steampunkish or otherwise Regency/Georgian/Victorian aesthetic with girl heroes and lots of handwavy science/magical artifacts and very worldbuilding that don't get surreal halfway through that aren't too silly or too sad. And it's nice if they aren't entirely caught up in het romance. <-- is kind of asking for recs, but in a picky mood where nothing is exactly right except the imaginary version of the Primer that Nell has yet to create.

Comments

[kaberett]

MAGICAL REGENCY you say WELL AS IT SO HAPPENS I hear that Mary Robinette Kowal is kind of aewsome at that! Have not yet read, but have seen highly rec'd.

[vass]

kaberett beat me to it. I haven't read Kowal either, but I've heard good things about Shades of Milk and Honey, and the author seems cool in other ways (is a puppeteer who's worked for Henson, used to be secretary and vice president for SFWA and has spoken publicly about the sexism and misogyny she's experience as a consequence of the latter.) The two main characters are sisters, so probably not lacking in girls.