May 19 2026

ARSENAL HAVE WON THE PREMIER LEAGUE!!!

I had something else scheduled for today but nothing else matters, really, because the team I’ve supported since first learning about and watching and falling in love with them in the 96-97 season (after having loathed football since experiencing nothing but boredom in my first full game, the ’94 World Cup final,) my team THE MIGHTY ARSENAL, have today won the Premier League for the first time in 22 years! And I was okay, I was happy, there in my kitchen in the cherry print shirt I promised football chat I’d wear in support of Bournemouth who, if they defeated or drew against our hated rivals in this penultimate game of the season, would ensure that we won the league after a grueling campaign that saw us secure our own necessary victory yesterday. And the valiant Cherries held on to a draw, and I gleefully celebrated with my friends online while finishing up some work in the kitchen, and then Arsenal posted this video to their Instagram:

Y’all, I bawled. Sitting there at my kitchen table, seeing the proud face of Arsène Wenger — the man who made me understand that football at its best is nothing less than art — as he congratulated the team on our victory, I finally broke down crying. I haven’t really stopped since. I’ve loved this club for well over half my life. Perhaps oddly, it has provided the kind of community and stability for me that religion does for most other people. In the social media era, it’s been easier too to connect with new friends who also care about the club… and unfortunately to be exposed to haters who have nothing better to do with their miserable lives than to troll us true believers. I’ve been with this club through thick and thin, and these past few decades, there’s been a lot of thin. Now, however and once more, we feast on victory.

But you know, this is primarily a book site, so I’m gonna recommend some books about Arsenal and football for those of you who want to get to know the Arsenal better, whether you’re new to the sport or a life-long fan (tho these books will probably be old hat to the latter category):

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May 18 2026

Hugo Awards 2026 Chat

Here at The Frumious Consortium, we are always excited to scrutinize the list of Hugo Finalists!

Doug: I’ve read one of the Best Novel finalists! And one in Novella! And I think I tried to read one in Best Short Story. I’ve forgotten whether I bounced or just suffered tab overload and closed that one out. Yay! Inventing the Renaissance made it in Best Related Work! My copy of that has so many Post-It flags. I had intended to write a multi-part thingie for Frumious; maybe I will revisit as part of Hugo season.

Ooh, Sinners did make the list in Best Dramatic Presentation, but that’s a tough, tough field this year. The notes for the category say that the top choice got 313 nominations out of 650 ballots cast. Anyone want to hazard a guess which one that was?

And a third Murderbot episode would have been a finalist in Short Form of Dramatic Presentation, but for the limit of two episodes per show. I’m so glad the years when this category was Best Episode of Doctor Who have passed.

Emily: I’m surprised that I haven’t read any of the short stories this year!

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May 16 2026

Platform Decay by Martha Wells

Here are some of the good bits from the new Murderbot novel, Platform Decay. I’m leaving out context, so I hope no big plot points are revealed.

I looked at Farai, and she said, “They’re looking for rogue SecUnits. Rogue SecUnits are always alone.”
Well, fuck. I hate it when the humans are right. I sent two of my intel drones to cover Naja and Sofi, and we started to walk. (p. 147)

Platform Decay by Martha Wells

Speaking of rogue SecUnits,

I sent: I don’t have a governor module and if you fuck up my retrieval I will fucking tear you apart, now get the hell out of here you asshole. I included a packet with some of my basic codes (fooling weapons scanners, taking control of cameras and drones, the original version of walk-like-a-human, etc.) And find some different clothes! (p. 95)

When things are getting a little feisty:

“SecUnit.” I thought Farai was going to tell me not to use violence, or don’t kill humans who are trying very hard to kill us or something. Mensah’s family had never really understood … anything about me.
Instead, Farai said with grim conviction, “I want you to do whatever you have to to keep those motherless shits away from my daughter.”
Fuck yes. (p. 119)

And while this episode in SecUnit’s life is particularly sweary, or at least seemed that way to me, it hasn’t lost its knack for understatement.

In front of the station, my hauler bot had run into the armored vehicle so successfully, it had decided to repeat the experience several times. (p. 201)

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May 15 2026

Tantalizing Tales — May 2026 — Part Three

Hello, dear readers! This week, we open with two fairly recent releases that I’ve only actually received in the past week, before swinging even further backward, then looking forward to some exciting books that are just on the horizon.

First up is Irina McGrath’s Murder At Haddonford Manor, the first in the Charlotte Reinford Mystery series. The heroine after whom the series is named is looking forward to taking up her post as personal assistant to Lady Haddonford. Her visions of a peaceful, pastoral life on the grounds of majestic Haddonford Manor are swiftly shattered, however, by the murder of the manor’s cook. Rachel Offley was almost universally beloved: who could possibly have wanted her dead?

The longer Charlotte stays at the manor, the more suspects she uncovers. Every guest and staff member seems to have their own secrets and hidden agendas, rendering each of them a potential suspect. Charlotte will soon find herself navigating a tangled web of deceit as she races to uncover the killer and restore the tranquility that she’s dreamed of.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/05/15/tantalizing-tales-may-2026-part-three/

May 14 2026

Destiny Ink: Sleepover Surprise by Adeola Sokunbi

This charming chapter book for advancing readers will delight and reassure any kid looking forward to the exciting experience of their very first sleepover!

Alas, my own first sleepover was not a great time. I was seven years old and my best friend was my next door neighbor, who was a grade or two ahead of me. I found her friends confusingly mature — they wanted to talk about boys and kissing and pranks — and they probably thought I was a baby. After we all eventually fell asleep, I woke up with a desperate case of homesickness and had to go home. Later, my best friend told me that I’d ruined her slumber party. We did not remain best friends for long.

Fortunately, Destiny Ink has a much better experience than I did, even tho she and her hamster Fuzzy are both extremely nervous about what’s not only her first sleepover but also her first experience sleeping outdoors. Her best friend Olivia has invited her to come sleep in a tent in Olivia’s backyard. Destiny is excited but also a little scared. It’ll be awfully dark when they go to bed. What if there are monsters?

Destiny decides that what she and Fuzzy need is a little practice, so builds an indoor tent the night before. Imagine her surprise when she discovers a lost monster and his pet rustling around in there after she’s gone to bed! The duo are just as afraid of her as she is, theoretically, of them. Destiny knows that she doesn’t want anyone to feel as scared as she’d once been, so decides to be the perfect sleepover host, even if she’s never actually had a sleepover herself before. Will helping the lost monster in this way adequately prepare her for camping out with Olivia?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/05/14/destiny-ink-sleepover-surprise-by-adeola-sokunbi/

May 13 2026

The Dogs Of Venice by Steven Rowley

Choosing this to read rn was 100% due to my recent coverage of it in the latest Tantalizing Tales column reminding me that it’s a manageably quick, grown-up read. Which is just what I need while my doctors puzzle out what’s been keeping me sick since mid-January, with only occasional bursts of energy that would allow me to resume my normal lifestyle for, at most, four days at a time before coming down with flu-like symptoms all over again (and as I’m currently suffering now.)

It certainly hasn’t been due to travel, as my doctors have inquired of me. All the far-flung climes that I’ve enjoyed since last spring have been visited entirely through books or televised sports. That desire for what seems exotic to me, and my need for something short — as well as a nostalgia for a city that I haven’t visited in several decades — nudged me to read this novella of picking up the pieces when everything you thought you wanted collapses around you.

I’m just going to crib myself for the next bit of description, if you don’t mind (I am a little sick after all; insert Karen from Mean Girls cough here.)

“Our protagonist Paul has spent months planning the perfect romantic holiday in Venice. He’s thus completely blindsided when his marriage of five years abruptly unravels, leaving him heartbroken and alone.

“Hoping that a change of scenery will help heal at least a little of his heartbreak, he decides to take the Venice trip by himself. Soon after arriving, he notices a small, scruffy dog trotting alongside a canal, with all the self-assurance that he himself lacks. When their paths cross again, Paul decides to follow the little dog, in hopes of gaining some insight into the creature’s confident self-sufficiency.

“As Paul journeys amidst the sights, sounds, food and people of Venice, he begins to discover connections that he never thought possible, whether to a dog, a city or — perhaps most importantly — to himself.”

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/05/13/the-dogs-of-venice-by-steven-rowley/

May 12 2026

This Is Who I Am by Rashmi Sirdeshpande & Ruchi Mhasane

As a third culture kid myself, this book means a lot to me, as it beautifully captures and explains the experience of belonging to more than just one place and culture.

Told in the first person, this charmingly illustrated children’s book is essentially the story of author Rashmi Sirdeshpande and her family. Her parents emigrated from Goa, India, to work as doctors in the United Kingdom. Some of the locals were lovely and welcoming, while others were much less so. As she and her younger brother were born and grew up, they would join their parents in traveling back to India to visit family, even as they had otherwise British upbringings.

Sometimes, she would encounter the questions of what she is or where she’s (really) from. These are, ofc, loaded questions, often asked by people who want to categorize you as “other”. The answer is far more complicated than the querents usually expect, too, leading to confusion on all sides. FWIW, I think the best way to ask about a person’s ethnicity or culture is to ask “Are you [nationality]?” because that shows an actual interest in the world around you, and a familiarity with the wider world. That said, I’ll never forget the time some Asian guy walked up to me, all smiles, and asked, “Are you Filipina?” When I replied in the negative, his face dropped into an expression of disgust as he stomped off. Lol, sorry, bro.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/05/12/this-is-who-i-am-by-rashmi-sirdeshpande-ruchi-mhasane/

May 11 2026

A Fishboy Named… Sashimi by Dan Santat

I almost feel bad reading this after the copious amounts of sashimi I had as part of my Mother’s Day dinner last night (but only almost, lol.)

Sashimi is a fish boy who swims out of Barnacle Bay one night looking for refuge… and answers. He figures that infiltrating the local middle school will help: the Lost & Found has everything he needs to stay incognito, and the other kids are about the same size as he is, so he can blend in.

After some awkward introductions, sixth grade teacher Miss Wilcox tells the class’ penultimate new kid Joe to show Sashimi around. Joe has already pegged the even newer comer as being weird, but has enough problems of his own to deal with, what with his lack of friends and, worse, being the target of the school bully.

Sashimi, being entirely new to life on dry land, is fascinated by his surroundings, even as he’s unwilling to let Joe be a punching bag for the local mean kids. As the two tentatively form a friendship, they learn more about the town they live in, as well as the ongoing local quest for the legendary Beast of Barnacle Bay. Will Sashimi finally find the answers he’s looking for, or will he find himself forced to return to the sea empty-handed? Or, worse, will he be trapped onshore by people determined to harm him solely for who he appears to be?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/05/11/a-fishboy-named-sashimi-by-dan-santat/

May 10 2026

A Scandal in Königsberg by Christopher Clark

In its 152 pages of main text, A Scandal in Königsberg gives readers a study in religious weirdness, jealousies within small-city elites, the hazards of mixing church and state, bureaucracies and their tendencies towards compromise regardless of facts, and finally the unknowability of some parts of history. Conversely, it is a testimony to what can be known in intimate detail about events nearly 200 years in the past, at least in a literate and preservation-minded society. Clark introduces the events with this brief prologue:

A Scandal in Königsberg by Christopher Clark

Between 1835 and 1842, scandal tightened around two clergymen in the Baltic port city of Königsberg. It destroyed their reputations, drove them out of their jobs and into prison, and banished them from public life. Their legal exoneration of the most serious charges against them came too late to reverse the damage. I have been thinking about this small vortex of turbulence ever since I happened on the relevant files in the early 1990s. The campaign of denunciations and rumour that took down the Lutheran preachers Johann Ebel and Heinrich Diestel belongs to an age before the advent of paparazzi, radio, television and digital social media, but that is precisely what endows their story with fabular power. Resemblances to present-day persons and situations, though not intended, cannot be ruled out.

Königsberg, known as Kaliningrad since it came under Soviet rule at the end of World War II, is most famous as the home of Immanuel Kant. It is also well known to mathematicians as the site of one of the founding problems of topology. The city had seven bridges that crossed three branches of the Pregel; is it possible to walk a route through the town that crosses each bridge once and only once? And if not, can this be mathematically proven? Königsberg was also the capital of Ducal Prussia, and its Hohenzollern rulers owed fealty to the Polish kings for this territory. Over the course of the 1600s, the Hohenzollern Electors of Brandenburg usurped this authority, eventually proclaiming themselves first Kings in Prussia and then Kings of Prussia.

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May 09 2026

Ehen in Philippsburg by Martin Walser

At the end of January, I wrote that I was not sure I was going to finish Ehen in Philippsburg (Marriages in Philippsburg). It’s not that the book was bad, as such, it’s just that more than six months had elapsed since I had started reading, and that was a good indicator that the novel was not really holding my attention. I had two main reasons for not consigning it to DNFland. First, and more pragmatically, reading German is a skill, and like every skill, it needs practicing. Second, the Philippsburg was part of the Süddeutsche Zeitung‘s first batch of great novels of the 20th century, and the editors who selected those 50 books for publication in a special edition had a mostly good track record of choosing worthwhile books that I probably would not have picked out on my own. So in the interest of skill and serendipity, after I finished Chevengur (which was two years in the reading) I resolved that I would finish Ehen in Philippsburg in May.

Ehen in Philippsburg by Martin Walser

Truth be told, once I built up a little momentum, it was good reading, maybe even compelling. Back in January, I wrote that Walser’s “lead character is a young man on the make; he catches some lucky breaks, is sweet on his fiancée’s mother, gets business tips from his future father-in-law, and looks like he’s going places in postwar Philippsburg, a fictional city in the southern parts of West Germany.” I could tell from the pacing, though, that the rest of the novel could not continue on the same trajectory, and speculated that there might be a big fall ahead.

I had forgotten that some German books still put their tables of contents at the back of the book, and so I didn’t realize that Walser broke Philippsburg into four parts. Hans Beumann, the young man on the make in the first part, becomes a secondary character in the second and third parts, and returns more or less as the lead character of the fourth. The first section ends with a harrowing account of what happens when Beumann’s fiancée, Anne Volkmann, seeks to have an abortion. She is shuttled from doctor to doctor, some of whom have no intention of helping and indeed pretend to help while simply passing time in the hope that Anne will decide it’s too late to end the pregnancy. Other doctors are too mindful of their reputations and try to send her to someone else. She does finally succeed, and survives the various attempts, but it’s a hard reminder of what criminalizing abortion meant in 1950s West Germany.

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