ReadingAll the Single Ladies. I wanted to like this, I truly did. Alas, it rubbed me the wrong way from Chapter 1 all the way through to the conclusion. It read like it started out being one book, and turned into a different one mid-development. The narrative rolled through a pinball machine of feminism-adjacent topics without focus. "Let's kinda talk about women's rights in a "then & now" way, but also a little here versus there, and oh, look, SQUIRREL."Also, despite nods to racial diversity, economic classism and intersectionality, the window dressing didn't ring true for me. The author makes loads of sweeping sociological generalizations based on stories from a limited sample of her friends,  studies about people like them, and also some stories about people the editor evidently insisted on including for comparison.Yes, I'm being mean and cynical. My blog, my interpretation. Did I mention how much I wanted to love this book? Betrayal makes me bitter. This should have been a PHENOMENAL read, but instead I walked away with this impression:

"Golly-gee-whiz, single [white upper-class, educated East Coast urban] women sure have faced a lot of obstacles throughout history and up to the present day! We've come a long way, baby, and marriage is a bummer for lots of women now. Go, independence!"

Um. Okay?The text is packed with statistics, summaries of statistics, thumbnail historical sketches, and anecdotes. Despite the less-than-coherent development, it's an excellent primer on feminism & politics for someone who knows absolutely nothing of women's contributions to history or American society. Since I do know those things from other better sources (go ahead, ask me for a list)  I know important things were glossed over, and fast lost patience with the less-than mind-blowing message.The heavy sprinkling of sub-conclusions like "Getting married messes up important supportive women's friendships!" and "Male partners/societial pressures force women to make choices against their own best interests as individuals and professionals!" got on my last nerve.  <deep breath> SO DISAPPOINT.Disclaimer: I have been married more than 30 years. Women's legal rights were still fresh enough that I had to fight for a credit card and a bank account with only my name on them. I partnered a man who understood why I kept those accounts, bought a car, and paid all utilities in my name only.  Spouseman groks the struggle, and we support each other as equals.My experience isn't the norm for my generation, but neither am I a unicorn. The reasons more women are staying single are a lot more varied than this book admits, and most of those reasons are deeply rooted in old system failures rather than fresh new attitudes.ANYWAY. Grr. Onward.Empire of Shadows. Much more my thing. History of Yellowstone region written in that chatty, "I'll spin the yarn in the narrative and stick the scholarly citations at he end" style I love so much.I finished my All The Grace Burrowes Novels In Print project (she's a delight, go read her, historical romance fans) and embarked on an Julia Quinn re-read.Silverthorn. The next Jacey Bedford fantasy. I liked it. The developments are develop-y, the characters and dialogue are fun, and the world-building is neato-keen. Nuff said.Watching:

• Killjoys Season 2.
• Dark Matter Season 2.
• Finally watched all of Expanse Season 2.
• I caught up to Daily Show, Samantha Bee & John Oliver (on Youtube) now & then.

STILL HAVEN'T SEEN GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2. <many sniffles of self pity>Spiderman: Homecoming. AKA Spiderman guest-starring Tony Stark & Happy Hogan. I loved it despite major doubts about yet another reboot. Best part? So many dialogue zingers, so many non-whitebread non-cliche characters. The plot was grounded in wonderfully-real teen problems too. Usually Peter Parker gets the Hollywood "sure, he's a kid, but he's super-smart, so of course he would behave logically and be taken seriously," treatment, and I can assure you from personal experience that is not how it works. Best news of all: NOT ANOTHER ORIGIN STORY! WOOOOO!Other Things:I have tomatoes, basil, and cucumbers growing happily in my sorta-garden. Teeny cucumbers are popping up behind the blooms, and green tomatoes lurk inside the tomato cage.  The peppers are struggling along this year. The sage as taken over its bed, but the butter lettuce is fighting back. (Lettuce is adorable when it grows tall and bolts up pretty little flowers. Ditto radish plants. That's a thing I learned this year.)Mulch has been laid down, and more weed death has been sprayed. Call me Godzilla, stomper of weeds. Transplanting of wayward perennials will occur soon.I have baked in the new oven, and it works. Blueberries are ripe, and I have socked away sour baking cherries this year too. Scones will definitely keep happening.That's all the news outside writing-world. In writing land...I'm getting there. I'm achieving a regular working schedule for the first time in months, and the progress is there on the pages of Heartwood. To ensure the regular butt-in-seat part, I am posting one of my older novels up to Wattpad (link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/110555072-downrigger) as a serial, two to three chapters a week.That's all from this neck of the woods for now. Ta until later.