Posted by Sari
Category 2, A Fantasy Book: Linda, Louise and Mike Carey: The Steel Seraglio (Also known as City of Silk and Steel)
We actually have both editions of this novel, Jukka was so impressed with Nimit Malavia's art in the North American Version he bought it too, and that is the version I read. I might not have if Linda and Mike had not been guests at Swecon in Stockholm. They were excellent and versatile guests and this was a very good novel, one of the best collaborative ones I have ever red.
The Steel Seraglio tells of a group of sultan's concubines who have to flee their city after a religious fanatic takes over. It is written in many voices, which blend impeccably together, has a host of interesting protagonists and the tale it tells is captivating. The Careys have written another novel with similar technique, The House of War and Witness, situated in 18th-century Holy Roman Empire, and it has defenitely moved up on my ever-expanding reading-list.
Category 26, a book of SF Poetry: Hal Duncan: Songs for the Devil and Death
I don't know if there has been an increase of SF-poetry, or if we are getting a bit more 
out of the ghetto and realising that lots of poetry with SF-elements is published outside genre publishers. Be that as it may, it is a good thing. My favourite SF poet is Sofia Samatar, but her poetry is not collected anywhere, so as a book of SF poetry I picked Hal Duncan's collection. It is very Al: complex vocabulary and imagery and juxtaposition of sublime and crass, divine and carnal. Sometimes it works well, especially in sonnets where the last rhyming couplet often turns the poem into a new shape, sometimes it can be heavy going, and unpicking the imagery needs googling. But anyone with Al's talent who can shape his raw emotional vision of world into verse is always worth reading.
Nordqvist Chamraj TGFOP organic black tea
This is my go-to tea when I just want a good cup of decent black tea. Chamraj is indian black tea from the Nilgiri mountains, and the TGFOP-marking means it is of high quality. It does goes bitter easily if you brew it too long (92-95 degrees and 3 minutes are the instructions), but it makes an excellent morning cuppa.
Eating Muffins 