Banned Book Club

 Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, 198 pages.

When Kim Hyun Sook started college in South Korea in 1983 she expected to study English Language and Literature and expand her worldview. It was quickly expanded far more then she ever imagined, as she quickly got pulled into the student protest movement through the titular "Banned Book Club." This graphic memoir takes place during South Korea's Fifth Republic, a military regime that was very heavy on censorship and very quick to brand any criticism of the government as communism. This memoir is not only Kim Hyun Sook's coming of age memoir, but also a story of people coming together to defy impossible circumstances, often with mixed success.  

This was a very exciting memoir, and it also made me realize I don't know very much about Korean history, even relatively recent Korean history. This is a fast, efficient read that I think is definitely worth the time.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler

 I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston, 356 pages.

Chloe Green moved from California to False Beach, Alabama with her moms about the time she started high school, and in that time the most important thing has becoming beating Shara Wheeler out for valedictorian of Willowgrove Christian Academy. Shara is the principal's daughter, and all-around False Beach golden girl. Chloe is the only out bisexual at Willowgrove and has a whole lot to prove. So when Shara kisses her and disappears shortly afterwards (about a month before graduation) Chloe is determined to find her, because Chloe Green doesn't win by default. She soon finds that Shara kissed two other people shortly before she left, and the three of them are thrown into a completely absurd scavenger hunt trying to put together the clues that Shara left behind. 

This book is ridiculous. It's also extremely fun. Much like One Last Stop this book is carried by its great supporting cast and the relationships between them. This book is very theatrical and over-the-top, and I found it to be a great time. Honestly the part I ended up caring about the least was the romance, which I found okay. This was a fun novel, although probably more of a summer read.

I'm Glad My Mom Died

 I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, 320 pages.

Jennette McCurdy, most famous for her acting in Nickelodeon show iCarly and Sam and Cat, really wishes that wasn't the case. This memoir is told in two parts. The first is her unhappy childhood and adolescence in child acting under her extremely controlling and emotionally abusive mother. The second part is her struggles with alcoholism, bulimia, and various other traumas after her mom died.

This book is, unsurprisingly, pretty heavy. More surprisingly, it's often also quite funny. McCurdy has a masterful grasp on perspective, and you can see the perspective voice morph as she gets older, which makes many of the childhood scenes even more disturbing. It also ends in recovery, which is the kind of ending I really appreciate in these types of stories. I'm not often a memoir reader, but this one was definitely worth the time.

Spinning Silver

 Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, 465 pages.

Miryem is the daughter of a very incompetent moneylender, and the granddaughter of a very competent one. When her mother falls sick and there is no money to help her she decides to take over her father's business, and it turns out that she is very, very good at it. But her boasts of turning silver to gold attracts the attention of the Staryk King of Winter, who says that he will marry her if she can change his gold to silver trice, and kill her if she cannot. And this impossible task is just the beginning,  for both Miryem and the people pulled into her orbit.

This phenomenal book is roughly a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin (a specific genre that I have a soft spot for), but full of Eastern European folklore, Jewish custom, and just generally really good characters. I found it really hard to write a summary here because there's just SO MUCH in this book, and it's all so good. I've been meaning to read it for like three or four years and now I'm a little upset that I didn't get to it sooner. I would definitely recommend.

Number One is Walking

Number One is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions by Steve Martin, art by Harry Bliss, 256 pages

In this light and charming memoir-of-sorts, Steve Martin shares a few anecdotes from some of the many movies he made over the course of 40+ years in showbiz. What makes this a fantastic book, however, is the fact that New Yorker cover artist Harry Bliss provides the artwork that turns these short anecdotes into comic-strip-esque vignettes (the many appearances by Bliss's dog, Penny, is the cherry on top). About halfway through the book, however, the memoir stops and the rest of the book is filled with single-page "diversions," (written by Martin and illustrated by Bliss) that are guaranteed to raise a giggle or two. The memoir and the "diversions" make for an odd pairing, but otherwise, it's a delightful book. I'll have to check out their previous collaboration, A Wealth of Pigeons.

The League of Gentlewomen Witches

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton, 336 pages

This sequel to The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels focuses on the Wisteria Society's sworn enemies, the Wicken League, a similarly neat and tidy group of society women wreaking havoc on England, the main difference being that the Wicken League is full of witches (though they won't admit it as witchcraft is still illegal and punishable by death). This book isn't quite as delightfully wacky as its predecessor, perhaps because we're already familiar with the previously surprising flying manor homes and tea-drinking pirates. That said, this one definitely ramps up the romance between book-loving future Wicken League leader Charlotte and scandalous Irish pirate Alex. It's a light, fun read.

Grunts: Inside the American Infantry Combat Experience, World War II to Iraq

Grunts: Inside the American Infantry Combat Experience, World War II to Iraq by John C. McManus  518 pp.

Military history is not generally one of my go-to topics when reading non-fiction, except in the case of books written by this author. I first learned of him when my son was in a military history class taught by Dr. McManus, the Curators’ Distinguished Professor of U.S. Military History at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). This book, like his others are very readable and understandable by anyone regardless of previous knowledge of the wars contained in it. Through interviews with the soldiers who lived through extreme battles, McManus details conflicts in the forests and jungles as well as the streets of villages and cities where infantrymen do the legwork and hand-to-hand fighting. The modern idea of "push-button" wars, begun during the Persian Gulf War, where the battles are fought just with technology rather than men on the ground is exaggerated. While hesitating to call reading this book as enjoyable, it is engaging on a number of levels.

A Good Day for Chardonnay

A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones (2021) 404 pages

Sunshine Vicram has been the sheriff in the small town of Del Sol, New Mexico for four months, ever since her parents put her on the ballot against the crooked incumbent and she won. Sunshine, in her early thirties, is still single, but has a teenaged daughter, Auri, who was conceived during a tumultuous time when Sunshine had been kidnapped long ago. Sunshine still can't remember the whole ordeal, but pieces periodically come back to her. Auri is a good kid whom everyone adores, but she does have a way of getting into trouble. 

Sunshine's best friend, Quincy, is her deputy. The small staff of close-knit officers are trying to locate a group who stabbed a guy outside a bar owned by Levi, a guy from a local family filled with some seriously messed up individuals. However, everyone loves Levi, especially Sunshine, who can't seem to express herself to him, although she can bring herself to arrest him in an attempt to keep him safe after he is seriously injured and refuses to go to the hospital.

Problems in Del Sol pop up like a game of Whack-a-mole. Some old unsolved crimes add to the trickiness. Can some of these crimes be interconnected? And why do the townspeople line up to turn themselves in when crimes are committed? I was quite entertained, but also more than a bit worried a number of times. 

This was book two in the series, but enough detail is supplied that the book works as a stand-alone.

Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band

Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler and Sonia Paoloni with art by Thibault Balahy (2020) 168 pages

This is translated from a French graphic novel. Super fan Staebler was in touch with Pat Vegas, one of two brothers who were central members of Redbone. Even though Staebler wrote the book based on his research and interviews, the book is framed as an extended conversation between Pat and his grown daughter and son a few years after his brother Lolly died. It is not only a dual biography of Pat and Lolly, but a history of some key moments of indigenous life in America during their lifetimes. We learn how the Standing Rock pipeline protests are not just a current event, but an ongoing example of indigenous activism. The story is not told in straight chronological order. It flows smoothly as Pat's memories dart from event to event. However, the page layout and art are sometimes a little jumbled. The standard pattern of reading left to right and top to bottom is not clearly followed. So, speech "bubbles" and the flow of a conversation are often confusing. Still it was a pleasure to read about rock 'n roll history paired with the important message of the contributions and treatment of indigenous peoples in America.
 

Now Is Not the Time to Panic

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson, 246 pages

It's the summer of 1996 and Frankie and Zeke are 16, awkward, and bored to tears. There's not a lot to do in their small town of Coalfield, especially for a couple of kids that are more interested in art and writing than drinking and sunning by the public pool. But on one hot afternoon, they create a flyer with two cryptic sentences and some creepy imagery, and decide to start hanging up copies around town. Before long, the whole town is confused and convinced that there's a satanic cult taking over the tiny Tennessee town.

Oh, Kevin Wilson... how the heck do you write books that are so odd yet relatable and funny and somehow real? I fell in love with this author's writing in Nothing to See Here (read it, it's fantastic), and had high hopes for this one. Thankfully, my expectations were surpassed, and this is one of my favorite books of the year. So good!

Not a Nation of Immigrants

Not a Nation of Immigrants: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (2021) 400 pages

This book appeared on my radar after reading an article based on a speech given by the author Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. The subtitle is very clear about the themes in this well-researched book. "'A nation of immigrants' was a mid-twentieth-century revisionist origin story." Each of the eight chapters are so packed with historical detail and critiques of interpretations of that history that are problematic that it feels as if you are reading eight different non-fiction books connected to the theme of correcting this revisionist origin story of America. We explore a critique of the popular musical Hamilton, the genesis of settler colonialism, the racial capitalism of slavery, the continental imperialism of manifest destiny, Irish settlers and policing, the efforts of Americanizing Columbus, the Western panic against Asian immigrants, and the history of aggression against Mexico. She wraps it up by discussing how actual refugees and immigrants are treated in our settler state, a place where white supremacy still holds a strong grip. It is a call for a more honest understanding of our American history.
 

Flight Risk

Flight Risk by Cherie Priest, 312 pages

Seattle homicide detective Grady Merritt is looking for his dog at Mount Rainier National Park when the formerly lost pooch returns with a human leg. Meanwhile, psychic karaoke queen and travel agent Leda Foley gets hired by a man who would like her to use her psychic abilities to track down his missing sister. But as it turns out, their cases are connected and the odd-couple investigators must once again work together to solve their linked mysteries.

The first book in this series, Grave Reservations, was one of my favorite books of 2021, so I'm not at all surprised that this one is just as delightful. I feel like I could read about Leda and Grady's investigations for ages, so I'll happily devour whatever Priest throws at us next.

Legends and Lattes

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree, 294 pages

After two decades fighting monsters, chasing bounties, and sleeping rough, orc Viv is ready to retire. So that's exactly what she does: she takes a stone that has mythical powers, finds a space that's ripe for renovation, and starts building a coffee shop with the help of a couple of new friends she makes along the way. And that's pretty much the book. Sure, there are a few stumbling blocks (convincing everyone to try the hot bean-water, sorting out the local mob element without resorting to violence, getting the word out, etc), but yeah, that's basically the book. A blurb on the back refers to this as "high fantasy with low stakes," and I really can't think of a better description. It's cozy, it's fun, and it's even better when enjoyed with a toasty mug of coffee.

A Desolation Called Peace

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine, 496 pages

With an empire still finding its feet after the shocking transfer of power at the end of A Memory Called Empire, the Teixcalaanli fleet is not quite sure how to handle a deadly and unknown alien threat where the ships seem to arrive out of nowhere and leave no survivors in their wake. Fleet leader Nine Hibiscus makes the controversial decision to seek first-contact assistance from the Information Ministry (instead of her own military intelligence sources). Now Three Seagrass and Lsel ambassador Mahit Dzmare (you knew they'd be involved somehow) are tasked with negotiating with a hostile new alien species that doesn't use any known method of communication.

Martine has done a wonderful job of once again showing the delicacy of diplomacy within a culture, between two cultures that already have a history, and in a first-contact situation. While the mental gymnastics of the military and political worlds are certainly intriguing, my favorite character was 11-year-old emperor-to-be Eight Antidote, who becomes a spy and learns his own way through the adult world around him. This was fantastic, and I'm not surprised that it won the Hugo. Can't wait to see what Martine writes next!

The Martian Chronicles

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, 222 pages

Last month's book for the Classics discussion group was The Martian Chronicles by Mr. Science Fiction himself, Mr. Ray Bradbury. This was my first time reading through the novel, though I recall reading some short stories in high school that I liked. However, if you're new to Bradbury et al., this is a great place to start. The book is comprised of several pieces--short, short stories, vignettes--some are only a page long. The entire thing is sort of a birds-eye-view on what would happen if we colonized Mars over the course of a few centuries. Bradbury really does a good job of just dropping the reader into the middle of an on-going story just before eking out some kind of twist or thought-provoking ending. Of course at the time, Bradbury had no idea what Mars was really like, so he had plenty of room to use his imagination and expand on some ideas that became the basis for most Mars-oriented material (aliens, mind control, etc). Flash-forward to The Martian by Andy Weir, and almost all of that old tchotchke kind of Martian fare is gone. But Martian Chronicles to me is kind of where man's love for Mars really began. I was making parallels to Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues, not in style or tone but really just in discovery. In this book, there's no singular character to follow, no real plot development, except that by the end it all, the reader should come away with a cautionary view of colonizing some one else's potential home. Really, this book speaks to ideas of anti-technology and unknown frontiers. Stories of note: Usher II, There Will Come a Soft Rains, The Third Expedition. Great for teens to adults. Recommended. 

Thanks a lot, Mr. Kibblewhite

 

Thanks a lot, Mr. Kibblewhite by Roger Daltrey  259 pp.

Yes, that is the Roger Daltrey of The Who. This is his autobiography which is only half as long as the one by his bandmate Pete Townshend. While Daltrey covers the main events in his life and that of the band, he spends a bit too much time attempting to justify his behavior when compared to some of the bad behavior of other band members (e.g. They were all getting wasted but I didn't do drugs . . . until I did.) The audiobook was read by Daltrey. Warning, a sort of spoiler: Mr. Kibblewhite was a teacher who told young Roger he'd never amount to anything.

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness

 Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke (2021) 352 pages

I read this non-fiction graphic novel on the Libby app. The chapter breakdown is Listen, Watch, Click, Touch, Listen. Within these sections Radtke references various social psychology studies. She shares personal stories and probes our American cultural habits. Certain pages combine visuals and text in an especially meaningful way that I wish I could share as a meme on social media. However, the overall connection between the concepts felt disjointed. Each old generation blames new technology for breaking down how connected we are to those close to us. Radtke also shows that technology should not be the scapegoat for our sense of isolation. Loneliness is surely a complex concept to study. Ultimately this doesn't entirely succeed in tying together the different approaches to thinking about loneliness into a deeper understanding of the issue, and what to do about it, if we see it as a problem.

Best American Science and Nature Writing 2020

 Best American Science and Nature Writing 2020 edited by Michio Kaku and Jaime Green, 384 pages

This anthology is exactly what it says on the can, collecting what the editors consider to be the best science and nature writing of the year. Notably the year in question is 2019, and the collected volume came out in 2020 (which is to say the edition all about COVID is actually the 2021). I think the editors did a really great job. In most anthologies I read there are a few stand out stories, a handful of very bad ones, and a lot that are alright. There were only two of the twenty-four presented here that I thought weren't very good, and many that were exceptional. I also feel more informed having read it. The collection covers a wide range of topics that I probably never would have thought to seek out information about on my own, and I feel like I learned a lot by the time it was done. 

The 2021 edition seems a little depressing, but the organization of the 2022 edition (which we recently got in at the library!) seems really interesting, and I'll probably pick it up next time I want some bite-sized reading.

Palace of Stone

 Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale, 336 pages.

(This book is the sequel to Princess Academy, which I wrote about here)

In this sequel to the classic young adult novel Miri has left Mount Eskel for the capital and Britta's wedding to the prince. But the lowlands are more complicated than they all thought up on the mountain, and Miri is soon pulled between her friend and her new royal family, and the forces of rebellion that are driven by high taxes and starvation.

I am continuously impressed by Shannon Hale's ability to write books for young people with surprising depth. Miri continues to be fully realized, as do the many people around her. This book doesn't have quite the timelessness of the first, but I do still think it was very good, and will probably get around to reading the final book in the trilogy before too long. 

Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir

 Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir by Bishakh Kumar Som, 151 pages.

This graphic memoir follows the year or so after her parents died that the author took off of her job in architecture to write a graphic novel. Or, to be more accurate, it follows the other woman on the cover (who is a construct) experiencing the author's experiences.

This book didn't work very well for me. There were too many layers of abstraction for it to feel like a very honest memoir, and I feel that filtering many of her own experiences as a transgender artist through the lens of her cisgender protagonist ended up flattening them. Also, on a more personal note, I tend to find books about how hard it is to write books a little self-indulgent and tedious, so I don't think I was ever really hooked on this one.  

Lunch Every Day

Kathryn Otoshi, 38 pages 

 

Lunch Every Day is a powerful read that addresses not only the topic of bullying, but also seeing it from both sides of the scale. Each day, Jimmy avoids the school's free lunch line because the line is too long. Instead he chooses to take Skinny Boy's lunch every single day.

One day Skinny Boy hands out birthday invites to his classmates including Jimmy.  Jimmy is shook. At first he decides he is not going. However, the morning of the party, he changes his mind and attends. He is a little timid to enter the party as he notices everyone has a gift and he does not. Once inside, he is truly welcomed by Skinny Boy's mom. She addresses the lunch issue in a kind and compassionate way and assures Jimmy he will never go hungry again by providing an extra lunch in her sons lunch box to share. 

There is an author's note at the end of the story. There, you will begin to see how Skinny Boy mom's compassion made an impression on Jimmy to break his bullying cycle, become an educator, and give back to the community in bully prevention. The author dedicates the book to Jimmy (Jim) and to the Mom who made the extra lunch for Jimmy every day in school.

Calamity Jane

Calamity Jane: The Calamitous Life of Martha Jane Cannary 1852-1903 (2017) Christian Perrissin and Matthieu Blanchin, 366 pages

This graphic novel is not billed as a biography, probably because Martha Jane Cannary was often a teller of tall tails, and some of the source documents used are from a slew of letters she wrote to her daughter throughout her life. She was the oldest of six children. Her parents were quite poor and the family eventually headed West in a small wagon, staying for a time in  a gold-mining camp in Montana. When that didn't work out, they continued on towards Salt Lake City, but Martha Jane's mother died during the trip. A year later to the day, her father died as well, leaving Martha Jane in charge of her five younger sibs.

Thus starts the bleak life of this young woman, who ended up leaving her siblings and looking for work far away. She was feisty and hard-drinking, and often mistaken for a man because of the clothing she wore. Sometimes she wanted to be taken for a man in order to get the kind of work she preferred. She told people she was married to Wild Bill Hickok and that he was the father to her daughter Jane. Maybe, who knows?

She earned the nickname "Calamity Jane" from a captain after she'd left an army convoy because of an altercation, and when a military group tried to find her, they were ambushed by Cheyennes.

Not a fun read, but the drawings are quite detailed and the story is engaging.

Hang the Moon

Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur, 366 pages

Brendon Lowell absolutely loves love stories and romantic comedies. It's a big part of why he founded a dating app that tries to focus on real, lasting, happily-ever-after relationships instead of hookups. So when his sister's friend Annie comes to town and proclaims that romance is dead, Brendon takes it as a challenge to prove her wrong. While he doesn't necessarily intend for them to end up together — he just wants to show her what good dates look like while showing off the romantic sights of Seattle — their obvious mutual attraction and chemistry cannot be denied.

This was a light and fun romance novel, full of references to a vast array of romantic comedies. It's a fun, quick read, and I'll definitely be reading the third book in this series (the first, Written in the Stars, was a Pride and Prejudice-esque novel focusing on Brendon's sister).

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton, 324 pages

Cecelia Bassingwaite is the ward of her aunt, a prim and proper older woman who is concerned about Cecelia becoming the right sort young lady, reading appropriate literature and avoiding the sun (lest she get the dreaded freckles, of course). However, they're both also pirates, members of the esteemed Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels who fill their flying homes (yes, actual houses that fly) with the expensive wares of the British upper class while observing proper tea etiquette. Cecelia has recently become the target of an assassination contract (from another member of the society, of course; it's a rite of passage in their world), but her would-be assassin, Ned, is both captivatingly handsome and mysterious about his many assignations.

The blurb on the cover of this book refers to it as "delightfully bonkers," and I've never read a more accurate description of a book. It has an underlying romance story, yes, but it also has all the elements of a rollicking adventure novel and a bit of fantasy (what with the magic that keeps those houses aloft) and plenty of intrigue. It's not going to win any awards — the plot's a little too zany and several of the society women are hard to keep straight — but it's certainly a bunch of fun!

Comfort Me with Apples

Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente, 103 pages

Well, Regan did a great write-up of this a few months back, so I'll just direct you there instead of re-writing what she wrote. I enjoyed the tension and creepy atmosphere of the book, though I'm not quite sure what I thought of it as a whole.

 What does absolutely astound me is Valente's talent as a literary chameleon. It's hard to believe that the same person wrote this AND The Refrigerator Monologues AND The Past is Red AND The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making AND Space Opera, all of which are great in their own way. I never know what she's going to do next, and that's fantastic.

Under the Pendulum Sun

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeanette Ng, 412 pages

After several months without a letter from her missionary brother, Catherine Helstone is determined to travel to find him and assist him in his work spreading the word of Christianity. Unfortunately, Catherine's brother is on a mission in Arcadia, land of the fae, where the people aren't strictly human (and so may not have souls to save) and even such simple things as time and space pay no heed to "civilized" rules. Yet after him she goes, ending up in the tower room of the manor house in which he lives, accompanied by only a ravenous changeling, a seldom-seen fire spirit, and the one Christian convert in the land, a gnome that handles the manor's landscaping.

While the worldbuilding is suitably confusing (in a good way!) and the gothic atmosphere is on point, there are some plot twists and turns in this book that left me nothing more than unsettled. I finished reading this more than a week ago, and I honestly still don't know what I think of it. However, I can't wait to discuss it with the Orcs & Aliens on Monday, as I'm sure they'll have plenty to say!

After the Fire

 

After the Fire by Henning Mankell translated by Marlaine Delargy  401 pp. 

This was the last novel written by Henning Mankell, author of the Kurt Wallender books, before his death in 2015. This novel is not part of the Wallender series. Fredrik Welin retired from his job as a surgeon under a cloud from a botched surgery. He moved into the family home on a small island in an archipelago off the Swedish coast. One night he wakes to a blinding light and discovers his home is on fire. He escapes with the clothes on his back, a raincoat, and two left boots. Soon he is under suspicion of burning the house for the insurance money. And Fredrik develops a love interest in a local journalist who was writing about the fire. However, while Fredrik is away in Paris, rescuing his daughter from jail, another island home burns to the ground in the same way. Fredrik is no longer a suspect but now there is an arsonist in this quiet, secluded part of Sweden. This is not Mankell's best work. It's a bit rambling and drags in spots. However, there is enough going on to make you want to continue reading to find out how it is going to end.

The No-Show

The No-Show by Beth O'Leary (2022) 329 pages

Siobhan, Miranda and Jane have all been stood up by the same guy on Valentine's Day. Siobhan sees Joseph as a hook-up, Miranda thinks she has the whole package, and Jane, afraid of relationships, works to keep Joseph as a friend, although she secretly wants more. The women don't know about each other, at least not at first.

Joseph, the mystery man, seems to be the perfect guy, sensitive and thoughtful, but it's clear that he's holding back something in his relationships. The women are, too. Siobhan, who is a life coach, had a bad breakup and isn't as confident as she seems. Miranda climbs and trims trees for a living, and while dating Joseph, is avoiding one of her co-workers who is known for his many sexual hook-ups. Apparently Jane is suffering from something that happened at work a few years ago, after which she left London to find solace in smaller Winchester. She's living very quietly, avoiding most people. Even as the characters feel their doubts about their relationships, we slowly learn their secrets while additional surprises are queued up.

I did not expect to like all the main and (most of the) secondary characters so well in this book whose premise seems to indicate a "fluff" read. Nor did I expect the novel to be a deeper read than I anticipated.

Grace Among Thieves

Grace Among Thieves by Julie Hyzy (2012) 278 pages

Grace Wheaton is the curator and manager of a tourist attraction called Marshfield Manor, which is nestled in tiny Emberstowne, North Carolina. The owner of the estate, Bennett Marshfield, has bequeathed his estate to the town, but in the meantime, he wants to make it the best it can be. Grace has talked him into having large parts of his collection of artifacts digitized by a film crew in order to immortalize the items, plus to have DVDs made to sell in their giftshop, which is lacking in high-quality keepsake items.

One problem at Marshfield Manor is that some valuable items in Bennett's collection have gone missing, and it's not clear who's to blame: the film crew, Bennett's attention-seeking stepdaughter, Hillary, or someone else. While trying to get a handle on that, tragedy strikes some members of a tourist group going through the manor. In Grace's short time as manager, there have already been some deaths [in other books in the series], and Grace has dealt with the police department way too often. She can't help but try to help the police–which has its good cop and its not-so-good cop–solve the latest murder, but she also finds herself easing her recent heartbreak by falling for a guy who was in one of the tour groups.

This is a fast-read, filled with the requisite amounts of love interest, quirky people, and possible villains, plus a nice smattering of suspense.

Her Body and Other Parties

 Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado, 248 pages.

As with any short story collection, this one is difficult to summarize, although it does seem thematically more united than many other collections I've read. Most of this collection is about how all kinds of people relate to women's bodies, including the women themselves. The stories are full of violence, sex, and a strange surrealism that makes each subject seem distant from herself.

Even after finishing the collection I'm not sure if I liked it. I think it was probably good. I found the distance in the writing especially strange for a collection that so often dipped it's toes into horror, but it also feels like that may have been intentional to forward it's own themes. This collection is a weird one, and I would be curious to see what more people have to say about it.

Dracula

 Dracula by Bram Stoker, 399 pages.

I would say that nobody needs me to summarize the plot of a hundred year old novel, but I was surprised to realize when I started it that Dracula himself is pretty much the only part of this book to have bled into the public imagination, and almost all of the plot was a surprise to me. 

I should also probably address before my review that I read this book in a very weird way. Although I did read the whole text, I did so by having it emailed to me chronologically on the dates that correspond to the dates on the letters and journal entries in the novel (which takes about six months).

I really enjoyed this novel! I thought it was genuinely spooky, and it did some really interesting things thematically. I really liked the characters, and definitely got invested in some of the relationships. I also now feel informed enough to properly appreciate how weird many adaptation choices are (Van Helsing was EXTREMELY different from what I was expecting).

Note: If you are also interested in reading this classic novel in easily digestible chunks (and in a way that several times really manages no hammer home the dread of waiting) I highly recommend Dracula Daily, which was the service I used. It just ended for this go round, but it will start up again next May, and you can always subscribe to their emails now.

The Next Batman: Second Son

 

The Next Batman: Second Son by John Ridley (2021) 130 pages

I'm enjoying Hoopla's comics collection. I'll try anything in the Batman universe and I tend not to read them chronologically. Hoopla has the first four chapters of this twelve chapter recent story. It was really only back in the character's first couple decades that things remained fixed as far as character ages. Since the 1970s, and with my previous Batman post on this blog as an example, the characters do age and the world they live in does change. I haven't read the story that leads to the specific events of this story, but Ridley does a good job at making this part of the continuity stand on its own. Lucius Fox, the former head of R&D for Wayne Enterprises, is now the head of Wayne Enterprises. We meet the rest of the Fox family too. Bruce Wayne is gone. Commissioner Gordon is gone. Renee Montoya is now the head of the police. Characters formerly from the sidelines take the lead. I'm here for new characters being developed moving forward. Primarily we get to know Tim 'Jace' Fox, a prodigal son, and his older brother Luke Fox who are at odds, but both have the skills to be Batman.

Death Need Not Be Fatal

 Death Need Not Be Fatal by Malachy McCourt & Brian McDonald 272 pp.

By the age of 85, the consummate Irishman, Malachy McCourt had lived the fullest life imaginable. He survived a childhood of poverty and alcoholic parents, owned more than one pub, acted in movies and soap operas, was a gold smuggler, a talk radio personality, a best-selling author, a political activist, and one time candidate for Governor of New York. In this book he faces death. While not in imminent danger of death, at his age he tackles much about the process of growing old with reminiscences, tales of his family, their tragedies and successes. As the last survivor of seven children, he continues to live life to the fullest of his abilities with the joy and foibles growing old brings.  

Coop Knows the Scoop

 Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders 301 pp.

In a small Georgia town where nothing much ever happens, there is a new playground being built and a mystery to solve. Thirteen year old Coop - don't call him Cooper - and his friends, twins Liberty and Justice are just the ones to solve the mystery of the body uncovered at the playground. The body happens to be that of Coop's grandmother who went missing decades ago. Now Coop's Gramps is accused of murder and Coop is determined to prove his innocence even if it involves breaking the law himself. 

A Holly Jolly Diwali

A Holly Jolly Diwali, by Sonya Lalli, 317 pages

                                    

Holly Jolly Diwali is a lovely romance about an East Indian-American, Niki, who gets laid off from her tech job in Seattle. A day or two later, she travels to India for her best friend's  wedding during the Indian festival of lights, Diwali. There, she meets a free spirited East Indian drummer, Sam, who resides in London. They have a platonic and innocent fling while participating in wedding festivities. This is a very easy read and a good palate cleanser between more difficult reads. The writer, Sonya Lalli, does a great job of capturing India's delicious food and high energy. I highly recommend this book!

Blues People

 Blues People: Negro Music in White America by Amiri Baraka (1963) 256 pages

Baraka, who was also a poet and playwright, published this originally under the name LeRoi Jones. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Prentice Onayemi. I added this to my reading list because I've become more interested in the roots of rock 'n roll. Being new to the St. Louis area I'm excited to explore the National Blues Museum eventually. Baraka's essay writing is super inciteful and detailed. He touches very briefly on rock 'n roll toward the end as it was still such a new genre in 1963. However, his illumination of the history and culture of Africans brought to the Caribbean and the Americas as slaves provides so much value in understanding the development of blues and jazz. White mainstream popular music constantly adopted aspects of black music, but always with a delay and a watering down through racist attitudes of each era.

Blackbird Girls

 

Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman 340 pp.

This story takes place in Ukraine during both World War II and the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Told from the point of view of three girls, Rifka in 1941 and Valentina and Oksana in 1986. Rifka and her brother are sent on the run by their family in hopes they can avoid capture by the Nazis. Valentina and Oksana, classmates who have always been at odds, end up traveling alone to stay with Valentina's grandmother Rita in Leningrad while their parents suffer the effects of the nuclear disaster. This well-written story covers multiple challenges faced by all the girls before finally revealing the connection between the two generations of tragedy. I wonder if the author is planning a sequel that will include the current war in Ukraine. 

Wink

 

Wink by Rob Harrell 316 pp.

Ross Maloy is a seventh grader who just wants to be a normal kid. However, after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that may cause him to lose an eye, his life is anything but normal. Rob Harrell, a survivor of the same type of cancer, created a character who faces the difficulties of being both a middle schooler and a cancer patient with honesty, a little tragedy, and a lot of humor. The humor in the story is not making light of the idea of a potentially fatal disease. Rather it laughs at the oddball situations Ross finds himself in while facing his classmates and manages his treatment. The survivor in me found this story to be well written and factual without being grotesque or maudlin. 

Sawkill Girls

 Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand, 464 pages.

This novel follows three girls. Marian, whose family just moved to Sawkill Rock after the death of her father in a car accident, and who are now working as housekeepers for the Mortimer family. Zoey, who's best friend disappeared without a trace nearly a year ago, and who is determined that Val Mortimer has something to do with it, and with the other missing girls who have disappeared from Sawkill Rock for decades. And Val Mortimer, who's family has served a monster for generations.

This book was very spooky. More than that, I found myself constantly pulled in by it. There's something sort of magnetic about the story, and I think the format itself probably furthered that impression. I'd definitely recommend this one.

October totals!

A hearty welcome to our new and returning bloggers! You now must help us get the rest of the staff on board. (Sorry, them's the breaks.)

Byron  2/560

Jan  2/685

Kara  14/4060

Karen  9/2229

Regan  11/3129

Stephanie  1/209

TOTAL: 39 books, 10,872 pages