The Harlem Hellfighters

The Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks with art by Caanan White (2014) 257 pages

This fictionalized historical graphic novel contains some characters that are amalgams and some that are real people. One real life black officer given some focus in the story is jazz band conductor James Reese Europe. Max Brooks explains at the end that he originally wrote a screenplay to tell the story of this African American regiment that fought in WWI. When no studios or producers bought it he eventually turned it into this graphic novel. It is exciting like a good historical movie. Life and death for the soldiers in the trenches and no man's land of France is, of course, gruesome. Racism is faced throughout their training in America and assignments "Over There." The popular song of the period How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm is sung by the soldiers many times, and it got stuck as I heard it in my head. The song takes on special meaning as the men think about how they will be treated when, or if, they return to America. The Harlem Hellfighters fought separately, but under French command, as top American military personnel routinely worked to repress them. The narrative structure of this story kept reminding me of the Civil War movie from 1989 Glory. This regiment in WWI fought valiantly and achieved much that sadly has often not been taught in American history. 

 

Mongrels

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones (2016) 302 pages

I read this as an ebook through Libby. This is categorized as horror because the main characters are werewolves, but aside from some blood and gore, it doesn't feel too frightening. A coming of age urban (rural?) fantasy is closer to the mark. The story is somewhat non-linear as the main boy playacts different roles in his family. He is being raised by an uncle and aunt, and he yearns for the day he'll become a werewolf like them. For this indigenous author werewolves are sort of a metaphor for the outsiders of society. But in the story it is no metaphor, they really are werewolves and the boy has to learn their particular ways. He teaches us that many "facts" about werewolves in movies are false. His family is transient and poor. It is good to walk in his shoes for awhile as he struggles with never fitting in and learning who his parents were.
 

Assembly

 Assembly by Natasha Brown, 106 pages.

This novella follows an unnamed black British woman through the struggles of modern life in England. She works at a bank and constantly deals with racism, sexism, and the countless small and nameless ways the world tries to break her down. Her wealthy white boyfriend's parents invite her to an upscale garden party, where she spends more time thinking about her place in the world, and if she wants to remain there. 

This book is extremely non-linear, which makes it difficult to judge the order and scale that things are happening in. It also seems terrified of giving characters names, which makes it hard to tell many of the various men apart, making an already difficult to follow story even more difficult to follow. Overall this novella felt like it was more interested in being perceived as "literary" than anything else, and I'm afraid that that goal inhibited anything else it was trying to do.

Heartstopper vol. 1

 Heartstopper vol. 1 by Alice Oseman, 263 pages.

This sweet and simply colored graphic novel follows Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson as they meet, become friends, and then start developing a different kind of feelings for each other. 

Kara already wrote about these books here, and I'm only sad it took me this long to finally pick up the first one. The story was adorable and classic, and as soon as I finished volume one I was sad I hadn't taken out volume two as well. This story seems to be exactly what it says on the tin, an adorable and easy to read romance.

Avery Colt is a Snake, a Thief, a Liar

 Avery Colt is a Snake, a Thief, a Liar by Ron A. Austin, 172 pages.

This semi-autobiographical collection of short stories is actually by a local author, and they all take place in North St. Louis. The collection follows young Avery Colt from when he's a kid afraid to kill a possum in his house through his teen years. Most of the stories are about his family, who are often both strict and dysfunctional. 

It is always extremely interesting to read a book set in places I'm very familiar with, so that itself makes this book interesting, especially because it is so deeply rooted in a sense of place. The prose sometimes felt a little bit elaborate, but woven throughout was some very visceral descriptions. I will also say that I had a hard time guessing what the intended age range of the audience was. I am glad I finally got around to reading this interesting collection.

The Gilded Wolves

 The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi, 388 pages.

It's 1889 in a magical version of our own world, and the upcoming Exposition Universelle is the talk of Paris. Séverin Montagnet-Alarie was meant to be the heir to one of the four powerful magical houses of France, but the results of his bloodline test were forged and he was robbed of his birthright. Now he runs both a successful hotel and a group of very talented teen thieves. Their band specializes in forged (magical) items from the remaining houses, and especially anything Séverin believes should belong to him. But their latest hunt is for a legendary treasure that could help all of them to find the things they have been seeking. Unfortunately, this kind of item comes with attention, and the stakes may be higher than they were prepared for.

I always like a good heist book, and this is a perfectly fine example of the genre. I thought the setting was pretty interesting, and the characters all have cool concepts.Unfortunately, I also found the characters to be a little two dimensional, and the end of this book put me off reading the sequels. It did remind me quite a lot of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, and I think fans of that book will definitely enjoy this one as well.

Shubeik Lubeik

Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed, 528 pages

In the world of Shubeik Lubeik, wishes have real impact, from national crises like drought or epidemic to the frivolous whims of the rich (ever want a dinosaur or flying car? A wish'll do that for you.). As with all resources, however, wishes are regulated, rated, and a bureaucratic nightmare. Third class wishes are the common ones that often go awry (like wishing for a new car and getting a toy version) while first class wishes are rare, expensive, and must be saved for very important needs. Kiosk owner Shokry has three first-class wishes that he needs to sell, and the story follows the wishes as they are purchased and used by a grieving widow, a depressed college student, and finally by Shokry himself, whose desire to use the wish to save a dying friend is in deep conflict with his religious convictions against using wishes.

Originally published in Arabic in Egypt, the book is read from right to left (and, to our western eyes, from back to front), which can take a few pages to get used to. But any temporary discomfort is well worth pushing through, as the book is a profound meditation on everything from privilege to mental health to religion and regret. And it's also funny! An excellent story with fully realized characters and worldbuilding, beautifully told. I just wish I'd read this before the annual UCPL Best Books of the Year list, as this definitely would've been on it.

The Best Strangers in the World

The Best Strangers in the World by Ari Shapiro, 256 pages

In this excellent memoir, Shapiro, host of NPR's All Things Considered, offers up essays on his experiences on everything from being the only out gay Jewish boy in his high school to interviewing those impacted by war in Ukraine and Africa to touring with the multilingual, internationally known band Pink Martini. Like his news coverage, these stories are engaging, thought-provoking, and touching, with unexpected bits of humor and twists. Yeah, it's a bit name-droppy at times (Alan Cumming plays a large role in later chapters, and Bono, Bette Midler, President Obama, and Patti Lupone, among others, all get mentioned), but Shapiro is very aware of this tendency, which makes it less annoying than your average "celebrities rubbing elbows" memoir. I loved this book, and especially recommend the audiobook, which Shapiro reads himself.

Murder in Williamstown and The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions

Murder in Williamstown by Kerry Greenwood (2022) 260 pages, and

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood (2021) 252 pages

For those who don't know the character Phryne Fisher, she's a single, wealthy woman in Melbourne, Australia who is very proper, yet extraordinarily ready to break customs. She's also a private detective, with a unique relationship with Jack Robinson, a chief investigator of the police. The stories take place in the late 1920s.

In Murder in Williamstown, multiple mysteries occur. One involves Phryne's Chinese lover, Lin Chung, and includes his wife's sister, who has gone missing. Another involves financial shenanigans at a school for the blind, and one involves threatening letters that have arrived in Phryne's mailbox. Phryne works with Jack Robinson to figure out the first case, and Phryne's three adopted children are instrumental in solving the second two of the mysteries. Phyrne's employee Dot helps out, too, although sometimes reluctantly.

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions is a collection of 17 short stories. This format works well; as author Kerry Greenwood indicates in her forward, it gives her a chance to try out new characters. Greenwood's forward also gets into the origin of Phryne's character. She characterizes Phryne as a James Bond type character "with better clothes and fewer gadgets." My own opinion is that the Phryne Fisher mysteries are just plain fun reading, even for those of us who may be more like Dot than like Phryne.

Transitions: A Mother's Journey

Transitions: A Mother's Journey by Élodie Durand (2021) 172 pages

Durand uses the format of graphic literature to tell the story of Anne and Alex. Anne is a university researcher specializing in animal biology. When her daughter Lucie announces to her that she is a boy, Anne reels. She's concerned that the decision had been made too quickly, perhaps Lucie had been unduly influenced by others, Lucie could be in danger of injury by others, and she is at higher risk of suicide. Anne finds herself unable to talk to Lucie. But over time, Anne and her husband amass information, including from the animal world, that shows our binary ideas of gender are not as set in stone as one might believe. There is also a discussion of gender identity in other countries. This story is more the story of the transition of Anne into a supporter of Alex, than it is the story of the transition of Lucie into Alex. Worthy of multiple read-throughs.

Whirligig

Whirligig by Magnus Macintyre  (2015) 301 pp.

My first read of this novel was a constant laugh-out-loud.  On re-reading it several years later I am still amused by Claypole, the protagonist, who has problems. He is a failing London entrepreneur, grossly overweight, and has no prospects. His constant refrain is BRR, which perfectly correlates with his missteps and faux pas.  Fate intercedes when he reunites with Coky, a childhood acquaintance (and one-way romantic interest), who cajoles him into being a consultant -- trying to convince a wary community in Scotland to agree to the construction of a wind farm. Life changing hijinks take place at windmill-turning velocity.  The bodacious humor and on-the-money caricature of rural Scottish life offset the rather tired and rushed ending. Looking forward to another romp by Macintyre.

The Cricket on the Hearth

 

The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home by Charles Dickens 106 pp.

After listening to this brief audiobook I realized I had never read this story but had seen at least one filmed version. The story of the amusingly named Peerybingle family and their nanny, Tilly Slowboy is a tale of jealousy, greed, and mistaken identity that ultimately resolves into a happy ending because the cricket living on the Peerybingle's hearth has brought good fortune to them all.

A Christmas Carol

 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 164 pp.

It's been many years since I read this classic story of Scrooge and his ghostly visitors. And I have seen various versions on film. But when I found Audible's edition read by Tim Curry I just had to have a listen. Curry does an excellent job without going over the top in his narration. I may have started a new Christmas tradition.

The Gardner Heist

The Gardner Heist: A True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser  260 pp,

On March 18, 1990 two men, dressed as policemen, gained access to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and stole a dozen masterpieces including works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Degas. The artworks, worth up to $500 million have never been recovered. The theft is one of the world's greatest unsolved crimes. Harold Smith, an art detective, worked on solving the crime for many years. After Smith's death Ulrich Boser took over investigating. Boser followed many clues and delved into the deep underworld of stolen art with success. There were many suspects, some of whom are now dead, but there has been no sign of the paintings. The Gardner Museum kept the rooms as they were after the theft, with blank walls in rooms where the paintings were once displayed. The tale is interesting, if a bit dry in many spots. It's a doozy of a mystery.

Wool

 Wool by Hugh Howey (2011) 528 Pages

I watched "Silo" on Apple Tv, which is based on the first half-ish of this book. I was blown away by the production of the show, we blew through it in a week. I just as quickly devoured this book! If you like thrillers, dystopian novels, post-apocalyptic-esque...etc...this is for you! Really well written. There are a number of differences between the book and the show, I recommend watching the show first. 

Thousands of people live in a sequestered community inside a massive silo underground. The organization consists of the up-top (higher class people like sheriff, the mayor, etc), the mids (middle class jobs and systems such as doctors, farms etc), and the down deep. There are no elevators, and each floor is traversed by a Grand Staircase, a spiral staircase within the middle of the silo. The Down Deep consists of mechanical  and the trash separators. All the people know is that the silo has always been there, it may have been created by a god. The history before 140 years was destroyed by a previous uprising, so nobody knows the history of people or why they are in the silo in general. The outside world is desolate and poisonous, and the only way to "get out" is to request to do so, a grave sin and highest crime in the society. The people follow "The Pact", a set of doctrines written by their predecessors. When someone commits a grave crime, or they request to "go out" they are sent out to "clean". Cleaning means the wiping of the sensor lens which gives the people inside a view of the outside world. There is a hill surrounding the land above the silo, and the people who go out to "clean" always end up wiping the lens. However, the air is so toxic that every single person who goes out to clean will eventually succumb to the toxicity of the outside air. There are numerous bodies within view of the sensor, never to move again or change. 

Because there are ideas and various ways of thinking that are forbidden, a conspiracy is born among various people within the community. Throughout the book we uncover the various lies between the "higher-ups", who have sworn to keep the community safe from creative thinking at all costs. Why are they there? Who put them there? Can they really not survive outside? are various questions some characters attempt to get to the bottom of.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (2020) 448 Pages

A tale of a girl who makes a deal with a demon in order to essentially live forever, with the unfortunate caveat that nobody will remember her name once they walk away, turn around, etc. She traverses across continents, finding strategies and ways of keeping herself fed and sheltered. Eventually over the centuries she arrives in NYC in present day. She goes from loft to apartment of various lovers she returns to over and over again, always forgetting who she is in the morning. She is tired of living like this but refuses to give in to the Demon's whims. He has offered since the initial deal to end her suffering, but she is stubborn and will not give in. One day in NYC she is browsing a book store and takes a book, she usually reads them and returns as nobody remembers her after a couple minutes. However this time, she is caught by the store owner who kicks her out. She returns a couple weeks later to find that the owner STILL remembers her. This is shocking, impossible but makes her feel real again. She starts dating this person as they find a lot in common, and most of all he remembers her and can say her name. They eventually figure out its only possible because he ALSO made a deal with the demon...however he will only survive the year. His deal allows every single person who he interacts with to view him as they want...whether it be the perfect son, a perfect lover, a perfect friend. He can do no wrong and gets his way with whatever he does.

This was quite a whirlwind of a book! I could not put it down. I will say I preferred the historical travels in the past, across Europe and France more than the modern-day inclusions. Overall, I loved it!

The Return of the King

 The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (1955) 595 Pages

The quest continues. Frodo and Sam struggle deep within Mordor. Gollum has led them through the most challenging parts, but eventually attempts to betray them with Shelob, the giant spider like creature who kills orcs and whatever else she can find within her cave. Sam and Frodo eventually do make it to Mount Doom. Aragorn elsewhere leads the battle against Sauron's evil forces in the city of Minas Tirith. 

In the end, the one ring is destroyed when Gollum bites the ring off Frodo's finger, and falls into the Cracks of Doom. Sam and Frodo are saved by the great eagles. In that instant, Sauron's power fails and Aragorn is able to crush the remaining evil at the Black Gates. Later, he is crowned King of Gondor, his rightful title and marries Arwen, daughter or Elrond. 

The hobbits return to the Shire, which has been overrun with men who set up an oppressive police state. They overthrow this institution and find out Saruman is behind it. Frodo spares him, but dies anyways due to betrayal by Wormtongue. The Shire is rebuilt, Frodo decides to leave and sails away to the peaceful paradise in the West with Bilbo, Gandalf, and the other ring bearers. 

10/10 this is my favorite ending to a fantasy series. I love re-reading, it never gets old!

Pedagogy of the Oppressed

 Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire (1968) 183 Pages

Originally published in Portuguese, Freire writes what is now known to be one of the foundational texts for critical pedagogy. In the work, Freire proposes a new relationship between teacher, student, and society. Pedagogy refers simply to the theory and practice of teaching and learning. Freire dedicates this text to the oppressed, especially those he has had close contact with in Brazil, teaching students to read and write. In this text, Freire applies a Marxist class analysis to the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. This is especially true for Brazil, a country which has been colonized heavily by Europeans for over a century. Paulo explains that the current model of pedagogy treats the learner as something to be filled with knowledge and argues that a better model for the learner includes that person as a "co-creator" of knowledge. Like most Latin American countries, Brazil was involved in a regime change or coup led and backed by the US, during which time Freire was exiled from his home for 16 years. Because of his experiences during exile, Freire was able to get a better understanding of relationships between social classes and the ways in which lower classes are taught. One of the main themes he wrestles with is humankind's main problem of affirming their identity as human. He states that everyone strives to attain this affirmation but oppression prevents many from achieving this.

Essential reading for anyone interested in the mechanics of social learning, culture, class dynamics within a learning environment.

The Two Towers

 The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (1954) 464 Pages

Frodo and Sam take off down the river Anduin alone, continuing on the quest to bring the One Ring to the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor. The pair soon discover they are being followed by the creature Gollum who seeks the ring for himself. Many hurdles for the hobbits, Legolas, Gimly and Aragorn are overcome. 

I love these books so much as I believe they are classic and personally important in my love of reading the fantasy genre since I was young. The movies of course are incredible, I just wish they had focused more on Shadowfax, the lord of the horses like Tolkien does in the books 😅

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick (2023) 232 pages

This DC Black Label title with slightly more mature themes has stunning art by Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, and Nicola Scott. It has won a couple Eisner Awards. The book is available on Hoopla. The many two-page spreads contained so much beautiful detail that it was a bit difficult to read on my phone screen. I had to zoom in many times to appreciate and read it. This is not a Wonder Woman adventure. It is an origin story of the Amazons from Wonder Woman mythology with Hippolyta, who would raise Diana, as the central protagonist. With all the God and Goddess characters it feels like Clash of the Titans, somewhere between the style of the old and new movie versions. The graphic novel fully realizes ancient Greek culture and mythology. DeConnick imagines a believable origin for Hippolyta who becomes a leader among the supernatural and mortal women of Themyscira.
 

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older, 224 pages

In this sequel to The Mimicking of Known Successes, investigator Mossa and her scholar girlfriend/assistant/friend (their relationship is a bit nebulous) Pleiti are once again attempting to solve a mystery on Giant (AKA Jupiter). This time, it's a student at Pleiti's university who has gone missing, and Mossa's initial inquiries reveal that he's not alone in going AWOL from the university.

These books almost feel like Sherlock Holmes stories set in space, and I absolutely love it. Pleiti and Mossa's relationship is fantastic, the mysteries and investigations are solid, and the sly nods to current SFF fiction is fantastic. I absolutely hope that Older keeps writing these books.

*This book will be published on Feb. 13, 2024.

All the Hidden Paths

All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows, 517 pages

In this sequel to A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, newlyweds Cae and Vel are still trying to get to know one another (and recover from the horrific events of the first book) when Cae is suddenly named as heir to his grandmother's title and attendant holdings. Cae is NOT excited about this, as he's more suited to swinging a sword than dealing with politics. Vel has more talent at politics, but given that he's a foreigner from a land that's scandalized by his same-sex marriage, he's more than a little hesitant to step in. Anyway, not long after Cae's grandmother's announcement, the pair is summoned to the monarch's court, which again, was not something Cae was looking forward to, and the fact that they were followed on their journey by a series of "accidents" doesn't make it any more comfortable.

In an afterword, the author explains that All the Hidden Paths isn't just a continuation of Cae and Vel's story — it's also an exploration of what happens after someone comes out. Because as they explain, and as Vel experiences throughout the book, there's a lot of internal struggle, self-doubt, and revelation that occurs both before and after that initial external announcement, and Meadows does an excellent job of illustrating that here. There were a few times in the book where I felt like all of their issues could be resolved if Cae and Vel just talked to one another honestly (which is one of my pet peeves in romance), but in general, this was an excellent addition to this romance/fantasy series. I hope to read more of Cae and Vel's story!

The Poet's Corner

The Poet's Corner: The One and Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family edited & written by John Lithgow 280 pp.

While at first glance, one would think that the poets contained in this book are memorialized in Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey but this is not the case. Many are in Poets Corner but there are many, mainly American poets, who are not. It is a varied collection with serious and light-hearted examples. This is one book that I highly recommend in audiobook form as the poems are read by a variety of well-known actors including Jodie Foster, Billy Connolly, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Sam Waterston, Gary Sinise, Kathy Bates, and many more. Lithgow gives an introduction before each poem and then a commentary afterward often with an additional offering by the poet and read by Lithgow. 

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire, 160 pages

In the ninth entry in this series, Seanan McGuire returns us to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children as Antsy (protagonist of book 8, Lost in the Moment and Found) starts getting settled in. But when the school's irresistible mean girl discovers Antsy's ability to find anything, including the doors for which all of the school's students are seeking, Antsy and her new friends are forced to flee to the Shop Where Lost Things Go, which is the last place Antsy wants to be.

I'll be honest — I read this book a couple of months ago, so my memory of the details is a bit hazy. However, like all of the other books in this series, it's a solid story built on the foundation of boundless imagination and wonderfully imperfect characters. You can't read this one as a standalone, but the series is well worth a dive to get here. 

Postcards from the Edge

 Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher, 226 pages.

Byron's review of this book finally inspired me to not only get around to a book that's been on my list for a while, but to try out the audiobook version. This semi-autobiographical novel follows actress Suzanne Vale in her time in rehab and then in Hollywood in the eighties. I found the plot a little confusing, likely because I'm not normally much of an audiobook listener, but luckily the real strengths of this book aren't in the plot but rather in Fisher's sharp and witty prose. Since much of the novel is Suzanne Vale's introspection, I found the book to be quick and enjoyable, especially with Carrie Fisher herself narrating. This is a pretty quick and low-stakes novel, and I would recommend it for fans of the author.

The Innocent Sleep

 The Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire, 368 pages.

This is, in a first for the series, a companion novel to Sleep No More from a few months ago. This time we follow the events from Tybalt's perspective, who is unaffected by the illusions wrapping their world and is having a worse time in many ways because of it. This is another book that I can't talk too much about the plot without major series spoilers, but the actual events of this book are pretty similar to Sleep No More, but with additional knowledge about the Undersea and where a few missing characters were.

Unfortunately I don't think this book worked quite as well as it's companion novel. I found Tybalt's voice to be stiff in a way that inhibited the action of the book, and overall less compelling than Toby as narrator. This book also suffers from a common issue of "the same story but from another perspective" books, in that it felt like overall Tybalt just didn't contribute that much to the plot. The big, world-ending consequences were pretty much on Toby (as usual) and Tybalt ended up left with more minor adventures. Sadly a slightly disappointing book.

The Maid

The Maid by Nita Prose, 289 pages

Molly takes great pride and enjoyment in her abilities to return rooms to perfection at the Regency Hotel. Every day, she works hard, cleaning off the fingerprints and dirt and smudges to create gleaming rooms for the next set of guests. Generally speaking, she does everything by the book, though she will bend the rules a bit for those who are kind to her, particularly hotel dishwasher Juan Manuel (who lost his home and now stays in unreserved hotel rooms with keys provided by Molly), frequent guest Giselle (whose wealthy husband is not at all kind to her), and hotel bartender Rodney, who helped arrange the sleeping situation for Juan Manuel. But when Molly discovers Giselle's husband dead in his suite, her fastidiousness and socially awkward ways place her at the head of the list of suspects, and the neat and orderly world she's created for herself begins to crumble.

Many of the mysteries that surround Molly are obvious to the reader (and to the other characters in the book), but it's equally obvious that Molly is autistic (though undiagnosed, and nobody seems to be willing to offer that possibility to her). I'm a bit conflicted about the way Molly is handled and manipulated by not only those who wish her harm but also those who care about her — she's obviously an intelligent and capable woman, but she's treated almost like a child by those around her. The Maid has received plenty of acclaim, has a recently published sequel (The Mystery Guest), and it's well-written and presented, so this discomfort is definitely a "me thing." I'm curious how the sequel (and future books, if they come) treats Molly's autism.

Calamity

Calamity by Constance Fay, 305 pages

Temperance was banished from the powerful Reed Family by her narcissistic bully of an older brother. Such an act comes with an unremovable glowing tattoo that makes it clear that she's not welcome in most civilized parts of the universe, so when the place where she found to land, the scouting ship Quest, sold off by its former captain, Temperance does the only thing she can — she goes into a massive amount of debt to buy the ship herself. Such debt leaves her unable to choose her clients for future scouting missions, which is why she ends up on a mysterious scouting job for the Escajeda Family. The Quest crew is ostensibly there to search for a rare but potentially game-changing mineral, though that doesn't explain their insistence on Arcadio Escajeda, second son of the powerful Family, riding along. And, unfortunately for the mission (but fortunately for her love life?), Temperance finds his smoldering good looks a bit too distracting in such tight quarters.

In recent years, romance and fantasy have spawned the poorly named "romantasy" subgenre, and Calamity is basically the science fiction equivalent (thank goodness there's not a mashup name for this subgenre yet). Fay manages to get the enemies-to-lovers romance trope just right, but the more science fiction elements are a bit rougher around the edges. Biggest complaint though is the massive overuse of the word "calamity," which started to lose meaning after a while. But I liked the worldbuilding though, and the characters are intriguing, and it was a pretty quick, easy read, so whenever the inevitable sequel comes out, I'll probably pick it up. 

My Name is Barbra

 

My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand  992 pp.

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of Streisand's autobiography with some reservations. It is extremely long and I feel like this book should have been divided in two with one part being the making of her music and films, and the rest of her life in a separate book. She goes into so much detail about the making of each recording, play, and especially her films that I feel like I've taken a master class on the intricacies of film-making production. I realize the making of  "Yentl" was an obsessive goal of hers, but did it really need three long chapters devoted to it? However, she is brutally honest about the positives and negatives in her life and does not shirk when the blame falls on her. Her deprecating remarks on how she is always hungry and enjoying food are amusing. The affection she bestows upon her friends from all walks of life is admirable. The advantage to the audiobook is the extra content included. There are added anecdotes as well as clips of her music. All in all, I enjoyed it but could have done with a bit less politics. I will always be a fan of Streisand but still believe this should be two separate books.  

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall, 322 pages

Sadie Revelare comes from a long line of witches, going back generations in her tiny town of Poppy Meadows, and uses her powers to bake charms into the cakes, breads, and scones at the café she runs with her grandmother. As is the case with everyone else in her family, Sadie's magic comes with a curse: she will experience four increasingly-horrible heartbreaks in her life, after which she'll lose her magic entirely. When the book begins, Sadie's already two heartbreaks deep (her first love, Jake, and her twin brother, Seth, both of whom abandoned her, just like Sadie & Seth's mom did when they were infants), and she's put up a wall around her heart to keep any more from happening. But when she learns her grandmother is dying, Sadie realizes she's staring down the barrel of heartbreak number three, and is desperate to do anything she can to avoid it.

The back of this book says that it's for fans of Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic, and given the quaint small town and the family dynamics, I'd agree with that much. But overall the book is firmly in the "meh" column for me. I feel like I've seen these characters before, in all manner of media, and the plot was very predictable. (Also, even though it's set in California, it feels like it should take place in the South? Maybe that's just me.) The true indicator of my apathy toward this book though is in the fact that I remembered reading *a* book over the weekend, but I didn't remember which one it was until I pulled this one out of my bag to return it. That NEVER happens, which just speaks to its forgettability. Meh.

Last Boat out of Shanghai

 Last Boat Out of Shanghai by Helen Zia, 499 pgs. © 2019

Wow, what a book. I haven't really tapped into a whole lot of historical fiction but this book is of a very high academic caliber that really makes the time and place come alive. The author did extensive research and conducted hundreds of hours of interviews with the survivors that she details here. The book chronicles four children from Shanghai as their lives and families are forever impacted by the Japanese military and later, communist China. Each short chapter is dedicated to one of the four main characters, so it's a good idea to make notes in order to keep everyone's journey separate in your mind--so much happens to these young people that it makes you angry and heartbroken. I spent a lot of extra time Googling things I'd heard names of but had no idea what they were about--the Rape of Nanking, the grotesque practice of foot-binding--there's so much to draw from this book through the lives of the characters that it can be overwhelming. Their stories are true lives lived, who are part of the Chinese diaspora trying to seek shelter from war and seize on whatever opportunities they can to survive. Some make it out of China and head for America, earning degrees and starting businesses, finding love and starting over in a time of intense hostility towards Asian people. At the end of the book, we learn that Bing, kept the secret of being sold to a rich family and adopted for 70 years, telling her daughter Helen, who then turned that into this amazing work. It's a stellar piece of history and journalism that reads like a piece of fiction but was very, very real. This work concluded the Yiddish Book Center's Stories of Exile discussion book club. Highly recommended for adults. 

Renegade

Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country by Adam Kinzinger (2023) 295 pages

For those who are into national politics, especially those who are concerned about the fate of democracy in these Donald Trump driven times, here's another viewpoint. Adam Kinzinger was one of a handful of Republicans to vote to impeach Donald Trump in 2020, and one of the two Republicans on the House Select Committee. As a result of his stand, he lost his seat in the House and felt shunned by many people in his district (and by some of his relatives as well), not to mention death threats against him and his family.

I found this to be quick reading, and appreciated hearing about Kinzinger's upbringing and political opinions, including a number of his takes on other elected officials. The only thing that would have made this book better is if it had an index.

River of the Gods

River of the Gods by Candice Millard, 349 pages

In this fascinating history, Millard dives into the western world's search for the source of the Nile River. Specifically, it looks at the troubled expedition of two British explorers, Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke, which took place in the late 1850s and was beset by illness, abandonment of local guides, and some pretty violent bandit attacks. It didn't help that Burton and Speke were opposites in every possible way, from their temperaments and looks to their approach to research and exploration. River of the Gods spends the bulk of the book focusing on that exploration, though given the extended animosity between the two, it continues well past their return to England, showing how their relationship further devolved until Speke's untimely death just before a planned debate between the them.

As much as the strong personalities of Burton and Speke dominated this book, I was equally fascinated with the logistics of a mid-19th century exploration, the horrific opinions Brits had of Africans, and the research, notes, and subsequent publication of manuscripts related to the expedition. There were times that Speke in particular caused me to roll my eyes hard enough to incite mild headaches — for example, his insistence that the local guides' suggestions to wear native clothing was nothing more than an attempt to make him look silly by "lowering himself to their status" — but altogether it was an interesting book.

An additional note: I listened to the audiobook, which was read by Paul Michael, and I cannot recommend it enough. It seems that there is no accent Michael cannot do, and do very well, and he absolutely nailed this audiobook narration.

Wishful Drinking

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (2008) 163 pages

I listened to a second short audiobook written and narrated by Carrie Fisher. This one is a memoir and she said she pulled together the stories she told in a one-woman stage production about her life also called Wishful Drinking. I used the word "outrageous" to describe the portion of her life fictionalized in Postcards from the Edge, but that word is better applied to the entirety of her life remembered in this book. And she admits that some of her memories are gone due to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) she has received for her mental health. Fisher was in her 50s when she recorded this and her voice sounds rougher. She shares a lot about her drug use and recovery. She tells about her frustrations with George Lucas. She reveals much about living with famous parents. She also confesses about her dating life, which is often crude. Despite her pain and struggle to recognize reality vs. Hollywood fiction she is able to looks at life with humor.
 

The Future

 The Future by Naomi Alderman, 415 pages.

Kara reviewed this very cool (and slightly hard to quantify) book here a couple of weeks ago, and I entirely agree with everything she said. Despite a lack of linear plot and many characters doing entirely unrelated things in distant places, this book never felt like it was moving slowly. That being said, I  will say that I felt like the first half of this book was stronger than the second. It felt like the climax of the novel couldn't quite deliver on how strong the rising action was. This also feels like a book that has to be read to be understood. It was an exciting, thought-provoking ride, definitely recommended.
 

Starling House

 Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, 309 pages.

Eden, Kentucky is a dying coal town, just like any other. But if a town could be cursed it was a good candidate for it, full of bad luck and choking on it's own poison. The only real claim to fame Eden has is the reclusive 19th children's author E. Starling, who vanished and left her creepy house behind. Opal knows better than to get involved with that kind of trouble, and no matter that she's been dreaming of the house since her mother died and left her taking care of her little brother on her own. But when Starling House's heir, the shunned and surly Arthur Starling, offers her a cleaning job for a frankly ludicrous salary she has to take it. It may be her only chance to get her brother out of Eden. Soon Opal develops a fascination with the strange house she can't repress, a fascination that starts to feel more and more like the dangerous feelings of comfort and belonging, despite all signs that Starling House is not a safe home.

This was a phenomenal novel, and has finally secured Harrow's place on my list of favorite authors. The prose is unbelievably lush, and grabbed me from the first page. Even with fantasy elements that are uncommon in the genre I would still consider this a true Southern Gothic novel, and it really leans into the rich symbolism common to the genre. I also loved both of our protagonists, who were both deeply flawed and very compelling. Overall I think I would recommend this spooky, atmospheric book to most people.

 

Revenge of the Librarians

Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld, 180 pages

In this 2022 collection of cartoons, Gauld (a cartoonist for The New Yorker and The Guardian) offers up short, humorous takes on books, libraries, authors, and the COVID-19 pandemic during which most of these cartoons were created. They're smart, relatable, and funny, and I found myself cackling heartily MANY times during the short amount of time it took to devour the book. Highly recommended to fans of books, libraries, and humor.

Too Like the Lightning

Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer, 432 pages

The year is 2454, and in the somewhat-utopian world that has replaced our version of society, most criminals are sentenced to dedicate their lives to serving others, something that is tracked by the aptly named tracker that all humans must wear 24/7. That's exactly what our narrator, Mycroft Canner, must do. But in the course of his work, he has discovered a young boy without a tracker, but with an amazing ability to bring life to the inanimate, and Mycroft is determined to protect this child at all costs. Meanwhile, a tracker-tricking device that society has linked to Mycroft has been used to steal an influential list of global leaders — kind of like the Time Person of the Year or People's Sexiest Man Alive, but with the ability to set off a political chain reaction that could upset the world order. Because of his old association with the device, Mycroft is pulled into that investigation by a cabal of world leaders, which makes protecting the child (and Mycroft's own secrets) even more difficult.

The plot and premise of this book is intriguing, and Palmer's worldbuilding is incredible. However, Mycroft's obsession with 18th Century philosophers (and the ensuing philosophical deep dives) is at odds with the setting, making the first half of the book in particular a tough read. There are plenty of confusing bits (Mycroft's gendering of characters in a theoretically genderless society, the handful of names each world leader goes by), enough that I'm really debating reading the second book in this quartet, even though this one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Should make for an interesting Orcs & Aliens discussion in any case!

The Lottery & The Haunting of Hill House

The Lottery and Other Stories (292 pages) and The Haunting of Hill House (182 pages), both by Shirley Jackson

Not long ago, I realized that "The Lottery" and The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson's best-known tales, were gaping holes in my reading history. So I set out to rectify the situation. In both, Jackson's distinctive style — atmospheric, haunting, something's not quite right, but hey, there's something almost humorous going on here — shines through, especially in the short story collection, which allowed her a wide range of subjects upon which to muse. I particularly enjoyed the titular story and "Charles," a humorous bit about a troublemaking child that was both very realistic and made me realize I'd read one of Jackson's other humorous short stories when I was a kid ("Life Among the Savages"). With Hill House, the classic haunted house book felt almost cliché to a reader in 2023 — until you realize that all of these "cliche" things originated in the 1959 book. Jackson's skill with creating unsettling atmospheres and unreliable narrators is unparalleled, and I'm so glad that I finally read these books.

*This is the collection out of which I read these two books. Also highly recommend We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which I read a few years back.

Once Upon a Camel

Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appelt  336 pp.

This is a charming middle grade story about a camel living in the state of Texas. Zada believes she is the last camel brought over by the U.S. Cavalry to transport supplies. Zada had been one a Pasha's racing camels in Turkey when they were approached with an offer to buy camels to send to the U.S. Zada and her best camel friend Asiye are loaded on a boat with other camels for the long ocean voyage. They became a caravan that hauled supplies back and forth across Texas. After being separated from the herd Zada lives as a wild camel, making friends with various animals, while avoiding others (scorpions, snakes,...). He befriends a family of kestrels and when a huge sandstorm causes the parents to get lost, Zada carries the two babies on her head while searching for the missing adult kestrels. To keep the babies occupied on their journey Zada tells them stories about her previous life while the mischievous baby birds sound just like human kids with their "Are we there yet?" type questions. Appelt (The One and Only Ivan) writes wonderful books with animals as the main characters, making their conversations sound believable. This was one of my Treehouse Book Club selections.

November totals

Byron — 3 books/795 pages

Jan — 7 books/2034 pages

John — 1 book/288 pages (welcome to the blog, John!)

Kara — 10 books/3417 pages

Karen — 5 books/1646 pages

Kathleen — 3 books/616 pages

Kevin — 9 books/1677 pages

Regan — 6 books/2712 pages

TOTAL: 44 books/13,185 pages

Batman: Earth One and Batman '89

 Batman: Earth One, Volume 1 by Geoff Johns (2012) 142 pages and Batman '89 by Sam Hamm (2022) 152 pages

I've read a handful of Batman graphic novels on Hoopla recently. Let me recommend two. The first volume of Batman: Earth One with art by Gary Frank was very good. It takes place in an alternate world where certain characters and events are slightly different than in the regular Batman continuity. We see a bit more of Bruce's boyhood while his parents are still alive. And later when he is putting together his Batman costume/persona, I really appreciated that this version shows him as just a man. His body and his tech are less super. The police are under the thumb of organized crime. It is still a dark criminal world, but very grounded in reality.

Then a newer Batman graphic novel imagines that Tim Burton got to make a third Batman movie. Sam Hamm has a story credit on both of Burton's Batman movies. Joe Quinones illustrates the characters to look like Michael Keaton, Billy Dee Williams, and Michael Gough, etc. The story here provides a lot of things that I liked. We get to know Billy Dee Williams' version of Harvey Dent much more deeply. We witness his transformation into Two-Face. We are also introduced to a brand new character who becomes Batman's sidekick Robin. There were some panels where the action was not quite clear, but it was good to revisit this version of Gotham.

The Birth of Rock n' Roll

The Birth of Rock n' Roll: The Illustrated Story of Sun Records and the 70 Recordings that Changed the World by Peter Guralnick and Colin Escott, 255 pgs. 

Coffee table books get a bad rap. Most of the time people don't want to carry them around due to their large size, but organized well, they can be works of art unto themselves. This collection focusing on the story of Sun Records in Memphis Tennessee is both alluring for music enthusiasts and historians alike. The authors dive into the very beginnings of the historic studio, with Sam Philips sussing out interesting talent in his hometown, eschewing traditional white sounds for more African-American and rhythm and blues fare. Filled with great, full-page color photos of artists, labels, and insider information, this collection is a great way to flip through and find new (albeit, old) tunes you may not have heard before. A fascinating story offered here is one of what is considered far and wide to be the first rock n' roll song titled Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston (backed by an up and coming guitarist named Ike Turner). When the group arrived at Sun to record the song, Turner realized the speaker cone in his amplifier had a hole in it, resulting in a distorted, fuzzy, broken-up sound. Turner panicked, thinking they needed to find another amp, but Phillips actually liked the sound the broken speaker cone created. It was different than any other sound he had heard before, so they went ahead and recorded it as is. That distorted sound became a benchmark for every rock n' roll song that would come after. It's a testament to Sam Phillips and his remarkable ear for modernity and the book highlights the studios many offerings to rock n' roll. 

The Skull

 The Skull by Jon Klassen, 105 pgs. 

I love this author's work and illustrations and this book was really surprising. I grabbed it for my kid to check out, thinking we would read it together, but she ended up reading the whole thing all by herself and really liked it. It's a strange book and it doesn't quite end the way you imagine it will. In an author's note at the end of the book, Klassen writes that he was in a library in Alaska, waiting to give a speech and happened upon a book of Tyrolean folk tales and read quickly through one about a skull. The story stayed in the back of his mind for so long that when he finally decided to do something with it, he couldn't remember the title of the book or the story. He wrote to the librarians there, giving them what details he could recall and they found it for him easily ("Librarians are very good at that," he writes). Here, Otilla, the main character, finds a skull that wants to remain that way, instead of being reunited with its skeleton. Otilla helps out and makes a new friend in the process. It's a little dark and quirky but not at all frightening and would make a good addition to Halloween storytimes for older kids. 

Lessons in Chemistry

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022) (396 pages)

Elizabeth Zott is not your average graduate student in chemistry for the 1950s. For one thing, she's female. She's been undermined, underpaid, and sexually assaulted, but she is very, very smart. She meets her match when she goes to Calvin Evans' lab to obtain some beakers, because her own lab is severely under-resourced. Fast forward six years, and she's making a living on a television cooking show, insisting on doing it her way, not dressed in sexy clothing like the network wants. And she teaches the in-studio and television viewers the chemistry of cooking, with the viewers—mostly women—whipping out notebooks.

I don't want to add any spoilers for those who aren't aware of the storyline and/or are in the midst of watching the Apple TV series. But I need to say that this book is one of the most circulated books since it was published in April 2022. It's only now starting to find its way onto the library's shelves, rather than to constantly fill holds. I finally got my hands on it and it was so worth the wait!