It's December...

 

Well, the last month of 2025 is now upon us. Time to try and finish off a couple of 2025 reading challenges and just read. I've got a couple of year end appointments, dental, eye check-up and I should get the car in for a winter tune-up. (Ya think!) And Jo is preparing for surgery at the end of the month. 😑😔

Anyway. How about books?

I've completed one so far in December. I'm not going to have more than 2 on the go at one time for the rest of the month. 

Completed Books

(I've completed 3 since my last update)

1. The West Passage by Jared Pechacek (2024 / Fantasy). Such an enjoyable read.

"I thought I'd try The West Passage by Jared Pechaček because it was nominated for the Ursula K. Le Guin award. I'm glad that I did. What a wonderful, imaginative fantasy story. Pechacek has created a fascinating world filled with interesting beings and creatures. It's got a gentleness to it, but at the same time there is a Beast coming and people you like are getting killed all over the place. The Ladies of the various towers; Black, Yellow, Blue & Red are some weird dudes.. dudettes.

The story revolves around Hawthorne (Apprentice Guardian at Gray Tower) (Gray Tower has not had a Lady for many years) and Yarrow who is newly appointed as Mother of Gray House. Both will head off on separate journeys to let the other Towers / Ladies know about the impending arrival of the Beast. That has been the function of the Gray Tower, that being to keep the Beast from breaching the West Passage and destroying all of the other houses. Hawthorne, as Guardian, is supposed to battle and defeat the Beast.

But Gray is a shadow of its former self. The Tower / House is basically empty and with Hawthorne and Yarrow leaving, will have only a basic few left to keep things going... and Winter is setting in!!!

Along their journeys, we'll meet so many interesting people, Frin the rabbit-eared Beekeeper at Black Tower who will become Hawthorne's Squire (even though neither knows what a Squire actually does) and Peregrine, the Itinerant Butler with his 'steed' (too hard to describe) Tertius, who will escort Yarrow on her journey.

Hawthorne and Yarrow are both fascinating characters (there is a fascinating change in Hawthorne when they assume the mantle of Guardian). Yarrow reminds me somewhat of the traveling monk in Becky Chambers' Monk and Robot books, that sort of gentleness she possesses... 

There is just so much going on in this story to try and decipher and explain logically. The best thing is to say it's wonderful, amazing and just so fascinating of a fantasy story. Rich, rich, rich. I hope that Jared Pechacek continues the at some time because I've got some questions!! (I have my idea of who Servant is, but .....) Check it out. Pure enjoyment (4.0 stars)"

2. Gideon's Press by J.J. Marric (Commander Gideon #19 / 1973). One of my favorite series. This also completes my 12 + 4 Dusty Book challenge. It was my 12th book.

"The Commander Gideon police procedural series has quickly become one of my favorites. Since then I've also enjoyed the standalone movie based on the series and the TV series that followed the books. It's nice to read about and see shows that reflect the police in such a positive light. Anyway, Gideon's Press (#19 in the series) written by J.J. Marric was somewhat familiar to me from the TV show but was nevertheless an excellent story.

Commander Gideon, head of London's CID is alone at home since wife Kate has gone off to visit one of his daughters. His other daughter, concert pianist, has also gone to take on job with a symphony that is touring Scotland. Penny also happens to be dating Gideon's #1, Alec Hobbs.

There are two story lines in this book; one following union strikes against London's newspapers and a threatened strike by dock workers. As well, there is a multi-service investigation taking place to catch smugglers who are illegally bringing in Pakistanis and Indians by sea. (As an aside, I found it interesting that this was a topic of interest back in the 70's but I was just a kid then)

Gideon will use the services of the press quite a bit in this story, which makes an interesting side story as we follow two reporters investigating the events taking place on the dockyard. We also have Inspector Homiwell diligently working the smuggling case, as he believes that the smugglers have deliberately sunk at least one boat filled with immigrants.

It's just a fascinating story as we move from one character to another, intricately tying them together and the main stories. Marric gets into the minds and the lives of each character and even bring back one from a previous story to see how his life has changed. The meetings with the press, the investigations by the reporters, the diligence of the police. It all makes up a great, fascinating, page turner and it all results in a satisfactory conclusion. Great series. (4.0 stars)"

3. Brave New World, A Graphic Novel by Aldous Huxley, adapted and illustrated by Fred Fordham (2022).

"Brave New World: A Graphic Novel by Fred Fordham is a graphic novelization of the original novel by Aldous Huxley (originally published in 1932). I've read the original novel a couple of times, once back in my university days as part of a Sci Fi novel course and again in 2016. When I compare it to 1984 and War of the Worlds and other Sci Fi novels, I think I preferred them.

However, Brave New World, both the novel and the graphic novel provide an interesting look at Huxley's view of a possible future for mankind, one where mankind is a caste system where people are created in test tubes, the lower classes are controlled; working 7.5 hours a day, and then spending their free time inn hedonistic activities and then falling asleep to Soma, a sleep drug. History, science, solitude are all frowned on. Old things are not good. Live for today, enjoy excess. There are alphas who create these rules but who can break them, read Shakespeare,  practice science, etc. Any others who do are sent to islands where they are isolated.

This story follows one man who feels alone, doesn't like the hedonism. He takes a vacation to the Savage Lands in New Mexico, along with his current 'girl friend.' There they meet John, a savage whose mother was once part of the new world, but abandoned by an Alpha who got her pregnant then left her there. She still remembers the old world of hedonism, drugs but is forced into this world of individuality and is basically shunned by the 'savages'. John is also caught in this duality.

They are both taken back to the 'city', somewhere in England. John's mother is a spectacle and basically lives in a Soma dream world at the hospital, waiting to die. John is shown around this new world and can't cope. 

It's an interesting concept and a fascinating story and Fordham explores it with thoughtfulness and care. I've enjoyed other adaptations by him and this one was also very interesting; well drawn and well presented...

This is the Brave New World as explained to John...

"In a properly organized society, nobody has any opportunities for being noble or heroic. There aren't any wars nowadays. The greatest care is taken to prevent you from loving anyone too much. There's no such thing as divided allegiance. No temptations to resist. And if ever, by some unlucky chance, anything unpleasant should somehow happen, why, there's always soma."

And how does John, the savage, cope with all of this??? Now you've got to read the book. (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

(My next 3 books will help me with my 12 + 4 Finish a Series challenge. I've got two of them on the go at the moment).

1. Maddie Hatter and the Timely Taffeta by Jayne Barnard (Maddie Hatter #3 / 2017).

"Maddie Hatter’s third Adventure finds her in Venice on an all-expenses-paid assignment: report on the season’s most extravagant Carnevale costumes. Determined to land an inside scoop, she enlists the help of her half-Venetian friend, Lady Serephene, to penetrate Madame Frangetti’s Costume Atelier in disguise.

Serephene is pursuing plots of her own: training in secret for a career that’s forbidden by her family, and flirting madly with a low-born Scottish inventor in his airship laboratory. When the inventor’s fabulous new fabric is targeted by industrial spies, Serephene risks not only her family’s displeasure but her own safety to protect him and his work.

Pursued through the floating city’s legendary canals and squares, Maddie must draw on all her hard-won survival skills to keep herself and Serephene out of the spies’ clutches. With the help of unexpected allies among Venice’s underdogs, the daring young ladies just might reach Carnevale’s grand finale alive."

2. The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea Cycle #6 / 2001).

"The sorcerer Alder fears sleep. The dead are pulling him to them at night. Through him they may free themselves and invade Earthsea. Alder seeks advice from Ged, once Archmage. Ged tells him to go to Tenar, Tehanu, and the young king at Havnor. They are joined by amber-eyed Irian, a fierce dragon able to assume the shape of a woman. The threat can be confronted only in the Immanent Grove on Roke, the holiest place in the world, and there the king, hero, sage, wizard, and dragon make a last stand. In this final book of the Earthsea Cycle, Le Guin combines her magical fantasy with a profoundly human, earthly, humble touch."

New Books

(7 new books to talk about)

1. Tuck Everlasting, the Graphic Novel by K. Woodman - Maynard (2025). I've never read the original novel.

"What if you could live forever?

In this timeless story about immortality, friendship, and growing up, young Winnie Foster learns of a hidden spring in a nearby wood and meets the Tuck family, whose members reveal their astonishing discovery of the spring’s life-changing power. Now Winnie must decide what to do with her newfound knowledge—and the Tucks must decide what to do with her. But it’s not just the curious girl who is interested in their remarkable tale. A suspicious stranger is also searching for the Tucks, and he will stop at nothing until he finds them and uncovers their secret."

2. The Serial Garden by Joan Aiken (2008). Jo loved the book cover on this edition.

"A Junior Library Guild Selection and Smithsonian Magazine Notable Book for Children. "A literary treasure."—Philip Pullman "My happiest discovery this year."— Los Angeles Times The complete collection of twenty-four charming and magical Armitage family stories. Includes a prelude by the author and introductions from Garth Nix and Lizza Aiken."

3. Love and Rockets, Vol. 7; The Death of Speedy by Jaime Hernandez (1989).

"The original, seminal Love & Rockets comic book series, which ran for 50 issues from 1981 to 1996, singlehandedly defined the post-underground generation of comics that spawned Daniel Clowes, Chris Ware, and so many others. Now collected into 15 volumes, Love & Rockets is a body of work that The Nation has described as "one of the hidden treasures of our impoverished culture." Created by brothers Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario Hernandez, three Southern California Mexican-Americans armed with a passion for pop culture and punk rock, Love & Rockets gave a voice to minorities and women for the first time in the medium's then 50-year history and remains one of the greatest achievements in comic book history."

4. Them Bones by Howard Waldrop (1984).

"Madison Yazoo Leake, of the bombed-out, radiation-ridden 21st century, wanted to go back in time to stop World War III before it began. When he stepped through the time portal, he thought he was entering 1930s-era Louisiana. Instead, he found himself in a world where Arabs had explored America, Christianity and the Roman Empire had never existed, and Aztecs performed human sacrifices near the Mississippi as wooly mammoths roamed nearby..."

5. Dawn of the Firebird by Sara Mughal Rana (2025).

"Khamilla Zahr-zad’s life has been built on a foundation of violence and vengeance. Every home she’s known has been destroyed by war. As the daughter of an emperor’s clan, she spent her childhood training to maintain his throne. But when her clansmen are assassinated by another rival empire, plans change. With her heavenly magic of nur, Khamilla is a weapon even enemies would wield—especially those in the magical, scholarly city of Za’skar. Hiding her identity, Khamilla joins the enemy’s army school full of jinn, magic and martial arts, risking it all to topple her adversaries, avenge her clan and reclaim their throne.

To survive, she studies under cutthroat mystic monks and battles in a series of contests to outmaneuver her fellow soldiers. She must win at all costs, even if it means embracing the darkness lurking inside her. But the more she excels, the more she is faced with history that contradicts her father’s teachings. With a war brewing among the kingdoms and a new twisted magic overtaking the land, Khamilla is torn between two impossible vengeance or salvation."

6. The Sundial by Shirley Jackson (1958).

"Before there was Hill House, there was the Halloran mansion of Jackson’s stunningly creepy fourth novel, The Sundial. Aunt Fanny has always been somewhat peculiar. When the Halloran clan gathers at the family home for a funeral, no one is surprised when she wanders off into the secret garden. But then Aunt Fanny returns to report an astonishing vision of an apocalypse from which only the Hallorans and their hangers-on will be spared, and the family finds itself engulfed in growing madness, fear, and violence as they prepare for a terrible new world. For Aunt Fanny's long-dead father has given her the precise date of the final cataclysm!"

7. Bad Indians Book Club by Patty Krawec (2025).

"In this powerful reframing of the stories that make us, Anishinaabe writer Patty Krawec leads us into the borderlands of history, science, memoir, and fiction to What worlds do books written by marginalized people describe and invite us to inhabit?

When a friend asked what books could help them understand Indigenous lives, Patty Krawec, author of Becoming Kin, gave them a list. This list became a book club and then a podcast about a year of Indigenous reading, and then this book. The writers in Bad Indians Book Club refuse to let dominant stories displace their own and resist the way wemitigoozhiwag--European settlers--craft the prevailing narrative and decide who they are.

In Bad Indians Book Club, we examine works about history, science, and gender as well as fiction, all written from the perspective of "Bad Indians"--marginalized writers whose refusal to comply with dominant narratives opens up new worlds. Interlacing chapters with short stories about Deer Woman, who is on her own journey to decide who she is, Krawec leads us into a place of wisdom and medicine where the stories of marginalized writers help us imagine other ways of seeing the world. As Krawec did for her friend, she recommends a list of books to fill in the gaps on our own bookshelves and in our understanding.

Becoming Kin, which novelist Omar El Akkad called a "searing spear of light," led readers to talk back to the histories they had received. Now, in Bad Indians Book Club comes a potent challenge to all the stories settler colonialism tells--stories that erase and appropriate, deny and deflect. Following Deer Woman, who is shaped by the profuse artistry of Krawec, we enter the multiple worlds Indigenous and other subaltern stories create. Together we venture to the edges of worlds waiting to be born."

There you go. I hope there are a few reading ideas for you. Enjoy your December.

Time for a Quick Update

It's a rainy Tuesday and Jo is currently just waking up. I was going to try a run this morning. Got all dressed up, opened the door to steady rain, turned around and headed back to bed. 😗😏

So instead, while the coffee is brewing, let's provide a reading update.

Just Completed

Since my update on Remembrance Day, I've completed 7 books. I've caught up with quite a few books that I had no the go for a couple of months and squeezed in a couple of short ones. I'm down from a reading high of 7 on the go at once to just 2. Much more reasonable. And I'll keep it that way until end December now. (NB. Unfortunately the site isn't letting me upload my book covers. Hoping it's just a temporary glitch. Looks like I've got to do it this way for now..) (NBB. It's back to normal today!!)

1. Exit Music by Ian Rankin (Rebus #17 / 2007). The Inspector Rebus series has been one of my favorites since Jo introduced me to it.

"Back in 2008ish, when I was stationed in Victoria, BC, my wife got me one of my best Xmas presents. Down on Fort Street was one of my favorite book stores, The Chronicles of Crime (no, she didn't buy me the book store.... not that I wouldn't have loved that). We were still living up island and on our way out of Victoria back to our home, she had me stop at the Chronicles to pick up something. Well, on Xmas Day, I discovered the almost complete collection of Ian Rankin's Rebus books. There were a couple missing but I purchased them in Comox, the following weeks. Thus began a love affair with the Rebus mystery series, which also extended to both TV series based on the books; one starring John Hannah and the other starring Ken Stott, who remains my favorite Rebus.

So to get to the point, we now come to my review of Book #17, Exit Music by Ian Rankin. At the time, I began the series, this was the last book and the title refers to Rebus's retirement from the Edinburgh Criminal Investigation Division. Since that time, Mr. Rankin has resurrected Rebus, starting five year after this book... Do I dare continue?

So... as Rebus heads to retirement, with his faithful DS Siobhan Clarke about to take over (maybe) as the DI, a Russian poet is murdered in Edinburgh. His last acts involvement the investigation of this murder, plus a follow-on murder of a Scottish producer, who seems to have a relationship with the Russian. the investigation will bring in suspects far and wide, Russian oligarchs investing in Scotland, Scottish bankers & politicians and Big Ger Cafferty, Rebus's nemesis since Day 1, the Scottish mobster, with his ties into everything.

I think it would be pointless to try and get into too much of the plot. Like all of the Rebus books, the case has twists and turns, the investigation will follow many tangents. Rebus will be suspended from the investigation for irritating one too many high profile suspects. Siobhan will continue to feed Rebus with information while he continues to investigate in the background. A replacement DI will take over and test everyone's loyalty. And the ultimate resolution to the murder(s) will be surprising and ultimately satisfying..

The partnership between Rebus and Siobhan is one of the best written in detective fiction, I believe. Their patter, their humor with each other, Siobhan's frustration at times with working with such an irascible boss, but ultimately her friendship and love for Rebus (and his for her) makes them such a great team. And the two DC's Phyllida and Colm add a nice touch when they get involved as well. Rebus has grown so much throughout this excellent series, that yes, I will probably continue to explore his life in the next books. It's a series you should really check out. (4.0 stars)"

2. The Doctor Digs a Grave by Robin Hathaway (Dr. Fenimore #1 / 1998). A new series for me. I liked the 1st book.

"The Doctor Digs a Grave by Robin Hathaway (Dr. Fenimore #1) is my first exposure to this mystery series set in Philadelphia. Dr. Andrew Fenimore is a cardiologist working out Philadelphia. He doesn't like the hospital politics but still works out of his local hospital so he can access his hospitalized patients. He also runs a one-man practice out of his house with one assistant,  Mrs. Doyle. Besides that the only other resident in the home is Sal, his cat, who will soon have some little kittens.

To supplement his income, Fenimore also works as a private detective, helping out (or getting in the way of) his friend, Detective Inspector Haggarty.

This story starts with a body being dropped off in a dark alley and buried there. There is a delay as the driver doesn't want to finish the job until it's dark enough. MEANWHILE.... Dr. Andrew Fenimore is taking a break from his hospital work and getting some fresh air. He sees a young man carrying a sack, looking through the hedges nearby. Interested, Fenimore follows the young man and discovers that the boy is trying to find a spot to bury his dead cat. It turns out that the alleyway previously mentioned is designated as Native American land, specifically the Lenape Indians and is purportedly also a burial ground. Fenimore and boy bury the cat there and see the parked truck. When Fenimore goes back later, the truck is gone and he sees that the earth has been disturbed where it was parked. Finding a shovel, he digs and discovers a body and then is hit across the back of the head with the self-same shovel.

And so it all begins. The body is that of a young Lenape Indian woman, with a history of heart problems. She was to be married shortly to a young man, heir to one of the rich Philadelphia families. And this begins an investigation, basically conducted by Fenimore, with help from his police friends and his assistant Mrs. Doyle and his new assistant, the young man he met earlier, named Horatio ('Rat').

It's an interesting story, filled with different people. We learn more about natural poisons. We learn about the Lenape Indian's culture and history. We meet Sweet Grass's brother, Roaring Wings, now living on reserve land in New Jersey, and a possible suspect. We meet the Hardwick family (Son Ted was to have married Sweet Grass). It's a neat little mystery that moves along nicely and has a satisfactory ending. I'd class it as a cozy mystery and am looking forward to reading #2, which awaits my attention. (3.0 stars)"

3. Our Love Will Devour Us by R.L. Meza (2023).

"(Ed. Note. This story is a scary, creepy, horrific and at times very graphic horror story)

Every October I try to focus my reading on horror stories, it being Horror month, don'tcha know... 😁👌👹 One of the books I chose this October was Our Love Will Devour Us by R.L. Meza. The story is one of the cabin in the dark woods horror-type stories and to be fair, it is really horrific.

Claire has headed to her parents' home out in the northern woods, I believe of Minnesota, to sell the place after both of their deaths. To be fair, her mother disappeared but no body was found. Claire has gone on her own due to problems happening with her own marriage to Emma (back in California). Claire is drinking and Emma is spending all of her time at work. This leaves their two children, Lily, the oldest and Silas, the youngest to try and deal with the problems.

We discover that Claire has had a traumatic, abusive childhood, especially after her father died. Her mother, a religious fanatic, would punish Claire by locking her in the basement, until Claire finally ran away from home. But she has been unable to discuss this trauma with Emma, causing many problems within their marriage. Emma has her own problems, of course.

At her mother's cottage, Claire meets Evelyn, a close neighbour, who tries to help her get the cabin up to snuff so she can live there while she tries to sell the house. Evelyn has a dog, Oscar, who was my favorite character. (Does that tell you something about my feelings of the story?)

There are flashbacks to the early 1900's to a young girl named Grace. Her father, turned nearby land into a residential school and used her to get native boys and girls away from the families. The land on which they lived has a major role to play in this future / present story.

Claire isn't dealing well with being on her own. The home is bringing back  those bad memories. She begins drinking again. She finds a diary of that her mother wrote. She is definitely spiraling out of control. Into this mix comes Emma and the kids. Emma wants the family to spend Christmas together but when they show up at Claire's place, things don't go well. Arguments between the two women and eventually the two children disappear one night.... in the middle of a snowstorm.

Now it starts getting really scary and I'll leave it at that... Ha ha! Suffice it to say that Claire and Emma will be in a battle for their lives and those of their children. What is 'haunting' their home? Is it Claire's mother wandering around in the snow in her bare feet? Or is it something more terrifying?

So.... did I like the story? Was it horror? Definitely... oh yes, definitely. Did I like the characters? Not particularly. I understand how much trauma they (especially the two spouses) were dealing with, but I just couldn't feel anything for them. The things they were willing to do to save their kids. I get it, but sheesh! As I said, I liked Oscar the dog. And I liked Silas, but hey, he disappears really early in the story. If you like being creeped out and sleeping with your bedroom lights on, check out this story. It's definitely interesting and scary. (2.5 stars)"

4. Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson (1951).

"Hangsaman is about the 3rd or 4th book I've read by American author Shirley Jackson. I picked it as part of my October horror month selections and it is listed as horror. But to my surprise, it isn't really, unless it falls under the gothic or psychological horror style?

To me it's more a story of a girl growing up, dealing with family, dealing with college and the people there. There are intimations, and maybe I read this bit too quickly, that Natalie (the protagonist is Natalie Waite) was sexually assaulted by an older man at one of her parents' parties. But if so, Natalie buries it.

The story really explores Natalie's mind, her dreamworld, her attempts to adjust to life, to people. Her father is a very commanding, controlling person, while she lives at home and even while at college, as evidenced by his correspondence to her. Natalie doesn't make friends at college and is pulled by other students. Like many of them, she has a crush on the English professor. He married one of his students a few years ago and their relationship isn't great; his wife latches onto Natalie somewhat.

Things are going on in the dorms; items missing, and rumors of other happenings to girls, but nothing horrific (in the horror sense). Natalie finally meets Tony, another loner girl and things begin to get weird with her...... 

It's a beautifully written story, creating wonderful pictures of the events and thoughts. But it kind of just moves along and sort of fizzles out. To my mind anyway. But if you have enjoyed Shirley Jackson, this is her 2nd novel and is worth checking out. (2.5 stars)"

5. Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 7 by James Tynion IV (2024).

"Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 7 by James Tynion IV (2024) is the 7th volume in this horror graphic novel series. It contains Chapters 31 - 35 in the series and completes the episode set in Tribulation, New Mexico. It finds Erica Slaughter, with the help of Riqui & Gabi as they try to destroy the Duplicitype, a creature that is, of course, killing the children and their families. Unfortunately for Erica, another member of the Black Mask, the insane Cutter, has coaxed (if that's the right word in this case) to change shape into a facsimile (duplicate) of Erica.

So Erica and Riqui and Gabi now have not only the Duplicitype and Cutter with which to contend but her previous mentor in the Black Mask, Cecilia, has shown up. While Erica doesn't trust her, she recognizes that Cecilia can help her fight the creature. Cecilia hates Cutter because she killed her love, Gary. Cecilia has also brought a formula that can kill both the creature and Cutter... it's also deadly to anyone else who might touch it (basically burns them up from the inside out...) Yup, not good stuff.

So there is your story. Erica and friends have a plan to attract the creature and the weapon that can kill it. But with Cutter in the picture, how will the plan work?

It's all very intense and deadly and exciting. James Tynion, like George RR Martin, once again shows he doesn't care who gets bumped off in his stories.. Grrr! I found the artwork a bit muddier than the others, but still very good. All in all, it was a 'satisfying' conclusion to this three-part story, but not my favorite one of the bunch. Vol 8 awaits me. (3.0 stars)"

6. The Disintegration Machine by Arthur Conan Doyle (Professor Challenger #5 / 1929).

"I bought The Disintegration Machine by Arthur Conan Doyle a couple of years back, not realizing it was a short story. I also now have a copy in a collection of Prof. Challenger stories, but when I noticed it hiding under some paperwork last night, looking lonely, I decided to take the book to bed with me. What an interesting short story. Now, I'm not sure whether it was the story or some residue of a sleeping pill I took the previous night, but I even had a dream,  somewhat related to the story (more related to the Invisible Man, maybe, but still...).

Anyway, my preamble is now almost as long as the story itself. 😁 Professor Challenger has appeared in a few of Conan Doyle's novels, starting with The Lost World (1912). I have the remaining stories contained in The Poison Belt and Other Stories.

Anyway, anyway... Prof Challenger is asked for help by a young friend, newspaperman Malone. A Latvian scientist living in London has purportedly invented a device that can disintegrate an object (even a living object) to its basic atoms and then as required return it to its original form. He is offering to sell it to any country. Malone and Challenger go to his flat to examine the device, only to discover that Dr. Stein has sold it to the Russians.

The rest of the story is the discovery by Challenger whether the device actually works and, if so, what to do about it? The story is only 33 pages long, but Doyle packs a lot into it,  creating a fascinating, surprising and tense little story. Check it out for yourselves. (4.0 stars)"

7. The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge (Snow Queen Cycle #1 / 1980). One of my favorites of November.

"The Snow Queen is the first of four books in the Snow Queen Cycle by American Sci Fi author Joan D. Vinge. Because I've become lazy and it's a relatively long book, it took me a little while to get into it. But, wow! What a great story! It's filled with a fascinating world, Tiamat, a great interspace 'hegemony', great characters and just a fantastic, rich story.

Tiamat is currently ruled by the Snow Queen Arienrhod, one of the Winter colonists of Tiamat. The other culture is the Summer colonists who are due to take over when the Black Hole that links Tiamat with the other planets of the Hegemony closes... for a couple of hundred years or so. 

But Arienrhod has her own thoughts on this. She wants the technology that the Hegemony brings to Tiamat (but either shuts down or takes with them when the abandon Tiamat (the whole Black Hole thing that means they all abandon the planet until it opens up again). Arienrhod has been harvesting the Mers, creatures of Tiamat's oceans, whose blood grants agelessness. She sells the blood to the aliens in exchange for their favor. 

Let's see. You've also got Moon Summer (you guessed it, she's one of the Summer colonists) who is training to become a sibyl. Her cousin and 'boyfriend' Sparks Dawntreader' also wants to become a sibyl but fails along the way and he abandons Moon and heads to the Snow Queen's city, Carbunkle, to make his own fortune. Along with Arienrhod, they will play the major role in the ongoing story. 

Add to the mix, the police inspector Jerusha, one of the Hegemony police force members. When the current Police chief is 'removed from the job' by Arienrhod's anger and actions, she becomes the Police Chief. Jerusha is, like all of the police (the Blues) a member of the Hegemony. They are tasked with protecting aliens on Tiamat and of course, keeping the law.

It's such a deep, rich story and I don't want to ruin your enjoyment by telling too much. Let's just say, it will move off Tiamat to another planet of the Hegemony, Kharamough, where Moon will learn the truth about what the sibyls are and also about the Mers. The story all is leading to the Change when the Summer Queen will take the place of the Winter Queen. But Arienrhod has her own plans to deal with that. Fascinating, excellent, wonderful story.

One quote sticks with me... Jerusha talking with Gundhalinu..

"'I know, Commander. But what force in the galaxy is stronger than she is?'

'Indifference.' Jerusha surprised herself with the answer. 'Indifference, Gundhalinu, is the strongest force in the universe. It makes everything it touches meaningless. Love and hate don't stand a chance against it. It lets neglect and decay and monstrous injustice go unchecked. It doesn't act, it allows. And that's what gives it so much power." (Words to think about.)

While I've mentioned the main characters, there are others that I really love, Gundhalinu, Jerusha's friend in the police force, Tor, who runs the night club for the Source (evil alien villain) and her companion, the robot Pollux. Just wonderful. Elsevier, who takes Moon off planet but is just a lovely,  wonderful character. It's just a great, Sci-Fi story. There are 3 others but they seem difficult to find. I'll keep looking. Check it out, please. You'll enjoy it. (4.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

Just two books on the go and I'll keep it that way until I start my 2026 challenges.

1. The West Passage by Jared Pechacek (2024). I'm enjoying the world that Pechacek has created very much.

"A palace the size of a city, ruled by giant Ladies of unknowable, eldritch origin. A land left to slow decay, drowning in the debris of generations. All this and more awaits you within The West Passage, a delightfully mysterious and intriguingly weird medieval fantasy unlike anything you've read before.

When the Guardian of the West Passage died in her bed, the women of Grey Tower fed her to the crows and went back to their chores. No successor was named as Guardian, no one took up the fallen blade; the West Passage went unguarded.

Now, snow blankets Grey in the height of summer. Rats erupt from beneath the earth, fleeing that which comes. Crops fail. Hunger looms. And none stand ready to face the Beast, stirring beneath the poisoned soil.

The fate of all who live in the palace hangs on narrow shoulders. The too-young Mother of Grey House sets out to fix the seasons. The unnamed apprentice of the deceased Grey Guardian goes to warn Black Tower. Both their paths cross the West Passage, the ancient byway of the Beast. On their journeys they will meet schoolteachers and beekeepers, miracles and monsters, and very, very big Ladies. None can say if they'll reach their destinations, but one thing is for sure: the world is about to change."

2. Gideon's Press by J.J. Marric (Commander Gideon #19 / 1973). One of my favorite police procedural series. Also an entertaining TV series.

"Commander George Gideon of Scotland yard keeps the peace in London when strikes are imminent, of the Press and at the docks and extreme right-wingers are gathering to break up the dockgate meetings."

New Books

Only 5 new books since my last update. I'm such a good boy.

1. Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson (2025). A brand new book by Dickson that I had pre-ordered. I've enjoyed her Upper Kingdom series thus far very much.

"A war-scarred mage. A sentient ship. A secret that could drown empires.

When Ensign Bluemage Honor Renn is rescued from the wreckage of her first naval post, she expects death or disgrace. Instead, she wakes aboard the Touchstone, a mythic vessel whispered of in dockside ballads and royal war rooms alike. With a crew of misfits. A mysterious, elven captain. And a mission tied to the Dreadwall, the crumbling barrier that has kept the Overland and Nethersea from open war for a hundred years.

But the tragedy that sank her last ship didn’t just take lives―it left something behind.

Now Renn carries a secret everyone wants. A magik that’s chimeric, arcane...and slowly killing her. But the captain’s mission may be her only chance to survive, even if he still doesn’t trust her.

Caught between privateers, princes, and spies, Renn knows each choice could sink her future―or set the sea on fire.

Ship of Spells is perfect for readers who crave the raw grit of Arya Stark, the world-building of Samantha Shannon, and the slow-burn tension of enemies who should never trust or want each other."

2. Howard Who? by Howard Waldrop (1986). I saw this book listed at the back of one I'd read by Naomi Mitchison and it looked kind of interesting.

"'If this is your first taste of Howard, I envy you.'-George R. R. Martin

The first paperback (and twentieth anniversary) edition of a landmark debut collection. Howard Waldrop's encyclopedic knowledge of superheroes, baseball players, world wars, long-dead film stars, Mexican wrestlers, pulp serials, fairy tales, and extinct species is put to good use in these sophisticated re-combinations of our pop-culture dreams.

Contents:
The Ugly Chickens (1980)
Der Untergang des Abendlandesmenschen (1976)
Ike at the Mike (1982)
Dr. Hudson's Secret Gorilla (1977)
"...The World as We Know't." (1982)
Green Brother (1982)
Mary Margaret Road-Grader (1976)
Save a Place in the Lifeboat for Me (1976)
Horror, We Got (1979)
Man-Mountain Gentian (1983)
God's Hooks! (1982)
Heirs of the Perisphere (1985)"

3. Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace (Archivist Wasp #1 / 2015).

"Wasp's job is simple. Hunt ghosts. And every year she has to fight to remain Archivist. Desperate and alone, she strikes a bargain with the ghost of a super soldier. She will go with him on his underworld hunt for the long-lost ghost of his partner and in exchange she will find out more about his pre-apocalyptic world than any Archivist before her. And there is much to know. After all, Archivists are marked from birth to do the holy work of a goddess. They're chosen. They're special. Or so they've been told for four hundred years.

Archivist Wasp fears she is not the chosen one, that she won't survive the trip to the underworld, that the brutal life she has escaped might be better than where she is going. There is only one way to find out."

4. Echo Around His Bones by Thomas M. Disch (1967).

"It all began when Captain Nathan Hansard of "A" Artillery Company of Camp Jackson/Mars Command Post went to Mars. The message he was sent there to deliver made him wish he were dead — in only six weeks' time the total nuclear arsenal of Camp Jackson/Mars was to be released upon the enemy.

Something had to be done and fast. Captain Hansard left for Earth via the instantaneous transmitter of matter, hoping to arrive immediately. But when he sank into the manmitter's once solid steel floor, he realized that he was a ghost. Only he did not remember dying... Well then, it was as a ghost that he would have to try and save mankind from atomic destruction..."

5. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Graphic Novel by Timothy Snyder (2017)

"A graphic edition of historian Timothy Snyder's bestselling book of lessons for surviving and resisting America's arc toward authoritarianism, featuring the visual storytelling talents of renowned illustrator Nora Krug.

Timothy Snyder's New York Times bestseller On Tyranny uses the darkest moments in twentieth-century history, from Nazism to Communism, to teach twenty lessons on resisting modern-day authoritarianism. Among the twenty include a warning to be aware of how symbols used today could affect tomorrow; an urgent reminder to research everything for yourself and to the fullest extent; a point to use personalized and individualized speech rather than cliched phrases for the sake of mass appeal; and more.

In this graphic edition, Nora Krug draws from her highly inventive art style in Belonging--at once a graphic memoir, collage-style scrapbook, historical narrative, and trove of memories--to breathe new life, color, and power into Snyder's riveting historical references, turning a quick-read pocket guide of lessons into a visually striking rumination. In a time of great uncertainty and instability, this edition of On Tyranny emphasizes the importance of being active, conscious, and deliberate participants in resistance."

So that's it, folks. I apologize for not being able to provide book covers to make the post a bit less wordy. I'm hoping it's a momentary glitch while they add this Google feature. Very depressing anyway. Maybe I'll follow my advice and go and read a good book. Enjoy the rest of your week.

(Final comment. As you can see, the glitch seems to have been corrected and I can once again post pictures of books. YAY! Thanks!)

Remembrance Day & My 70th Year

Firstly, my thoughts are with all those who served their countries and their families. Personally, my father served in the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force after the war. Both of my brothers served, as did I and my sister was married to a member of the RCAF. On my wife's side, Jo's father and mother both served during WWII and her sister Sue's husband was a Paratrooper. My brother's two sons also joined up. And our kids travelled around Canada and the world with us as we moved from base to base. Anyway, thank you to all who've served. 

On a 2nd note, I just celebrated my 70th birthday (yesterday), an age that I have trouble fathoming. I don't know what it's supposed to feel like to be this age. I know I'm a bit over weight and have many aches and pains but I still walk / run 3X a week. I still enjoy reading and I've got quite a few to go through over the next few years. I look forward to Jo finishing her cancer treatments so we can both travel and go to some places we've talked about. My dad is 101 this year (his birthday was on the 7th) and he's still pretty darn sharp so if I can have his longevity, I'll be happy. Thinking back over my life, I know I've been very lucky. I travelled with my Mom and Dad throughout his career and saw much of Canada and Europe and during my own military career and since, I've seen New Zealand, Tunisia, UAE and more of Europe and the US. Let's just leave it and say, more to follow! 😎

Now, on to books, because that is the title of this Blog, which I just checked and see that I started in Oct 2010. There are probably easier ways of talking about books and such, but I'm stuck with this. 

As I have mentioned in my Goodreads groups, I'm not starting any new books this year until I have finished all those that I have ongoing. I've whittled that list down quite a bit this month, having read 8 books so far. So a few reviews for you and a look at any new books I have received as well.

Books Completed

1.  The Content Assignment by Holly Roth (1955). It turned out this was a re-read.

"The Content Assignment is the first book written by American author Holly Roth and the second book I've read and enjoyed by her. It was originally published in 2 parts in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953.

I really enjoyed this novel, an intriguing, entertaining, 'lost girl' thriller with spy intimations. The story follows English reporter John Terrant as he travels to America to find Ellen Content. Terrant had been working in postwar divided Berlin and along with a friend met Ellen, who says she works as a secretary at the US Embassy. Over the course of the next week or so, he meets with her a total of 4 times. In the last meeting, he gets involved with Ellen as she tries to rescue a Russian man and his wife. The find the man dead. Ellen orders John to save the wife and take her to Ellen's boss. John does this and then loses track of Ellen.

John has fallen deeply in love with Ellen during these short meetings and over the next years he continues to try and find her. He does discover that she has worked for the CIA and that she seems to have disappeared on a ship to New York. When John discovers a new article that seems to indicate Ellen is still alive, he heads to New York, against advice / orders from the American FBI and even Scotland Yard, to try and find Ellen. There you have the crux of this entertaining thriller, as John stumbles around New York city and state, trying to find clues to Ellen's existence.

The story moves along nicely. It's not perfect as there are moments that seem inconceivable, but to Roth's credit, everything is explained satisfactorily. The characters are well - crafted, John is likable and intense. The FBI and police aren't idiots and act reasonably and sympathetically. It's a nice introduction to Roth. She has a clear writing style, the story is logical and well-crafted and just plain enjoyable. I will explore Roth's works further as I do enjoy her style and story-telling. (4 stars)

Update for re-read 1 Nov 2025. I enjoyed it as much as previously. Gave it a 3.5 stars. Romance with spy overtones. One scene stands out in my mind as quite humorous. When Tarrant realizes he's being followed down a dark road and it turns out there are two groups of men who follow him. The ensuing fist fight between the group is wonderfully described and Tarrant's sneaking away while the four other men continue to grapple really tickled me. Most enjoyable story overall... Now to read a Holly Roth I haven't read before..."

2. The Girl with all the Gifts by M.R. Carey (Girl with #1 / 2014).

"I've enjoyed M.R. Carey's Felix Castor books (written as Mike Carey) and when I saw The Girl with All the Gifts, the first book in a new series (The Hungry Plague / 2 books so far), I thought it might be worth checking out. All that I can say is what a neat, scary story.

Melanie is one of a group of kids kept in cells somewhere in England who each day are brought to class. They are shackled, strapped into wheel chairs and gagged until they reach the class. Then there at least have their muzzles taken off while they learn their lessons. Melanie's favorite teacher is Miss Justineau, who is always fun and treats them like kids.

But there is something different about Melanie and her classmates. They are only released from their bonds when they are back in their cells. Once a week, they are hosed down with disinfectant. It's a strange life, but Melanie seems to be one of the different kids. And Doctor Caldwell, who manages the camp, takes a child every so often for some reason and they don't return. 

The camp is run by the military, led by Sgt Parks, who Melanie doesn't like. He's not very nice.

This will all change when the camp is attacked by a group of Junkers, scavengers who live in the wild, amongst the 'Hungries'. That is the group that Melanie and her friends belong to. Some virus has spread over the earth, turning humans into mindless Hungries... well, most humans. Some, like Doctor Caldwell, are trying to find a cure... she's pretty ruthless...

The attack by the Junkers will turn the whole situation upside down and inside out. Doctor Caldwell, Miss Justineau, Sgt Parks and one of his soldiers, Private Gallagher, along with Melanie, manage to escape and then begins a journey towards what they hope is sanctuary in a place called Beacon, a place around London that is barricaded from the Hungries.

It's a fascinating story, filled with action and terror and with a group of interesting people trying to survive together in a region that is peopled with creatures and enemies that are a constant threat to their lives. Melanie is a wonderful, smart, unique character. Miss Justineau is also wonderful and Sgt Parks, well, he's kind of neat when you get to know him.... Fascinating story. (4.0 stars)"

3. Running Wild by J.G. Ballard (1988).

"Running Wild is a murder mystery by J.G. Ballard. Over the years I've read 10+ of his strange and fascinating books. Running Wild is very short so I won't ruin my thoughts by getting into the plot too much. Suffice it to say (and this is pretty well the blurb on the back) a mass murder has been committed in a gated community near London. 32 adult residents have all been killed and their children kidnapped. Dr. Richard Greville, a psychiatrist, and Sgt Payne look into the crime to try and ascertain who did it.

The story is somewhat akin to others of Ballard's stories. I'm thinking of High Rise, Crash, and especially Kingdom Come. All look at how modern life, the building of new towns in the UK, the disassociate life styles, affect the lives of those living them. And Ballard does take it to extremes. Very strange but also powerful stories.

Running Wild is interesting. Ballard lays out the investigation in an orderly fashion, looking at the community, Pangbourne Village, the residents and their lives and then at the events as they took place. For a very short story, he packs in a lot and it's an interesting read. I had my ideas on what took place pretty early on but I don't think that's what matters really. It's just the getting there. (3.0 stars)"

4. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (Handmaids #2 / 2019).

"The Testaments is the 2nd and final book in The Handmaids Tale duology by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. I enjoyed the 1st so very much, have read it 3 or 4 times, seen the movie, watched some of the TV series. All excellent. I've had Testaments on my shelf for a little while and finally told myself to get with it and start reading it.

I like how the story is laid out and how by the end it all ties together. The story follows three characters. Aunt Lydia, one of the founders of the Aunts is followed by a secret journal she is writing. The other two characters are followed via their Witness Testimony (what the testimony is for isn't really explained, but it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things) Witness 369A is a young girl living in Gilead, who gradually discovers she isn't who she thought she was and follows her into joining the Aunts as a supplicant and onwards. Witness 369B is a young girl living in Toronto, Daisy, with immigrant parents Neil and Melanie.

It's a fascinating story and as it develops, shows how Gilead was formed, how it's progressing and beginning to fail. We learn about the resistance that operates underground railroads to get young girls and families to safety in other countries. We see better how the Aunties operate, the Pearl Girls who work in other countries trying to gather girls into Gilead's tentacles and bring them back to the country to be wives and baby makers for the Commanders.

Like the first book, it's a rich, fascinating, even terrifying story. The development of the main characters and the gradual tying them together is beautifully presented. Each character is presented as flesh and blood and fully developed. They are smart and brave. It's a terrifying story but not futile. The more I got into it and the more the story developed, the more I liked it. Great series and such a great author. (4.0 stars)"

5. The Bone Yard by Jefferson Bass (Body Farm #6 / 2011).

"The Bone Yard is the 6th book in the Boddy Farm series by Jefferson Bass (the writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson). In this story, things are quiet at the University of Tennessee human decomposition research facility (the Body Farm) as the summer season begins. Dr. Bill Brockton is at loose ends, trying to write a new book, but not enthused about it.

Bill is asked for help from an old friend, Angie St. Claire, a forensic scientist working for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Angie's sister is dead, the local coroner in Georgia determining her death was by suicide. Angie believes her brother-in-law murdered her sister and she asks Bill Brockton for his assistance in examining the body.

While there, another case crops up in Florida, the discovery of a boy's skull. Since he's there anyway, Brockton assists Angie and the FDLE investigator Stu Vickery, in trying to determine the identity of the skull. It turns out that a dog had brought the skull to his owner, an old fella living in wilderness in Florida's panhandle.

So both cases occupy Bill's attention with the latter becoming more and more involved. Another skull found by the dog. The group decides to attach a (words!!! what is the word???) location finder to the dog's collar so they can track where he goes to find the bones. It turns out that the old fella lives near an old Boys' Reformatory with a bad reputation that burned to the ground years before.

It's a complex, rich, interesting and also distressing mystery (the cruelty of man to children) that gets more and more tense as the story builds. The history of the Reformatory comes out more from an old diary kept by one of the inmates. Threats and deaths start to crop up in present. Just like the earlier books in the series, Bass has presented a fascinating, well-written mystery people with interesting characters. The trio of investigators especially, Brockton, Angie and Vickery are all interesting and likable. Entertaining with a tense, but ultimately satisfying ending. (4.0 stars)"

6. Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison (1952).

"I can't remember where I heard of Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison but it turned out to be an interesting sort of folk tale / fantasy. The story follows Halla. While still a baby, her father, the King remarried. The new Queen wanted him to get rid of the old Queen's 'brat'. Her nursemaid Matulli takes her from the castle, changes into a bear and takes Halla with her to live with the bears.

Halla grows up with the bears and Matulli becomes more and more of a bear and in now unable or doesn't want to change back to being a human. While bearish herself, Halla isn't really one so she heads out on a journey. For many years she lives with a dragon, Uggi, cleaning his treasures, learning from him, meeting the other dragons. All this time, Halla learns to communicate with all of the other animals around. When Uggi is killed by a hero, she leaves with another dragon but in the end, leaves on her own journey.

And this short tale is the story of her journey. She will help people and learn how to travel light. But the question remains throughout is will Halla ever find her own peace. The story reflects the Norse myths, what with the Valkyries appearing, and such. But it is also more than that. It's a short novel but a fascinating one and Halla is a wonderful character. While I don't know where I heard of the book, I've ordered another by Naomi Mitchison to explore her work more; that being Memoirs of a Spacewoman. I rate this book 4.0 stars. I think middle school and older children might like it. There is sadness, some violence and death."

7. Camp Concentration by Thomas M. Disch (1968).

"Camp Concentration is the first book I've ever read by American Sci Fi author Thomas M. Disch, as far as I remember anyway (To be fair I've been reading 60+ years so I may have read something). Anyway, I've since ordered another of his stories.

So, back to Camp Concentration. As I read it, it reminded me of Flowers for Algernon, but much darker. The story follows conscientious objector, Louie Sacchetti. He starts the story in prison in Springfield but is moved to another prison, Camp Archimedes. He's not sure where it is, but gradually believes it might be all underground. 

He gradually becomes aware that the prison is conducting experiments on the other prisoners. They are being fed / injected? a drug called Palladine, based on the syphilis virus. The drug enhances the mental powers of the prisoners. Unfortunately, it also results in the premature deaths of the patients. Louis is there to write about the prisoners, what he sees, and to get to know them. The prisoners are given free reign to do what they want, conduct experiments, write, make movies, plays, etc.

There is a crisis when on of the prisoners, Mortdecai, who is researching alchemy, performs his master opus, with the assistance of the prison director, Haast, and Mortdecai dies at the crucial moment.

In the 2nd half of the story, one of the psychiatrists has disappeared, Louie discovers something that kind of surprised me. There is a new group of prisoners taking part in the experiments. At this point, as much as it has been very interesting up to this point, the story really, really gets interesting and I won't ruin it for you by continuing. 

The story is fascinating, the philosophical discussions interesting and the lives of the prisoners so well-presented. I did not have a clue where the story would end up. It just leaped it up in my estimation as well. (5.0 stars)"

8. The Girls in the Cabin by Caleb Stephens (2023).

"The Girls in the Cabin by Caleb  Stephens was one of my October horror reading selections. While it took me awhile to get into, once I did, it really grew on my and became a page turner, an excellent horror thriller.

The story focuses on widower, Chris and his two daughters, Kayla and Emma. Chris has decided on a camping trip to Colorado as a means of rebonding with his daughters. Kayla is still mad at Chris as she saw him cheating on her mother with another woman. (And Chris had planned to admit all to his wife, Lexi, but she became fatally ill and he couldn't do it) Emma is still traumatized and hasn't spoken since her mother's death.

The camping trip hasn't been going well and then while Chris is chasing after Kayla, who has wandered off, Emma does the same and falls down a hill, breaking her leg. Of course, they get lost, a snowstorm blows in and they find themselves stranded on the mountain. But as Emma's condition worsens, Chris forces the girls to try and find help and lo and behold, as their condition reaches a critically stage, they come across a house in the woods.

The house, rickety and crammed with junk, is occupied by Clara and her somewhat slow son, Billy. Clara, who had received nursing training at some point, helps them with their injuries and offers to  let them stay in the house until the storm blows over. Chris wants to leave but the storm is so heavy and he can't even call for help as the phone lines are down.

Over night, they begin to hear strange noises, loud bangs, cursing, but finally manage to fall asleep. Upon waking up, Chris discovers that Emma has disappeared!!! And things begin to take an even worse course over the rest of the novel. (I will stop there because you really need to read it and experience the whole feeling of terror of this story.

The story is told by pretty well every character, each chapter switching from one to the other. The story also jumps from the present to Clara's childhood and previous life; the traumas that she experienced, etc. And the constant question held above everyone's head is, who has been staying upstairs in the attic?

All in all, it's a very well - written and presented horror story. Stephens has managed to make the isolated cabin in the woods into a unique experience. Worth checking out. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

I won't go into any detail on the six books I have to finish before I start any more new ones but they are

- Exit Music by Ian Rankin (Inspector Rebus #17) (started in August, my next book to finish)

- The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge (Snow Queen Cycle #1)

- The Doctor Digs a Grave by Robin Hathaway (Dr. Fenimore Cooper #1)

- Hangsaman by Shirly Jackson

- Our Love Will Devour Us by R.L. Meza

- The West Passage by Jared Pechacek

New Arrivals

1. Queen of Teeth by Hailey Piper (2021).

"Within forty-eight hours, Yaya Betancourt will go from discovering teeth between her thighs to being hunted by one of the most powerful corporations in America.

She assumes the vagina dentata is a side effect of a rare genetic condition caused by Alpha Beta Pharmaceutical, decades ago, when she and several thousand others were still in the womb.

But, when ABP corporate goons upend her life, she realizes her secondary teeth might be evidence of a new experiment for which she’s the most advanced test tube... a situation worsened when Yaya’s condition sprouts horns, tentacles, and a mind of its own.

On the run and transforming, Yaya may be either ABP’s greatest success, or the deadliest failure science has ever created."

2. Memoirs of a Spacewoman by Naomi Mitchison (1962).

"Mary is a communications expert, passionate and compassionate about the strange and often unnerving life forms she encounters on her travels to distant galaxies. Non-interference is the code, but her emotional and erotic entanglements cannot always be avoided, and scientific detachment is not always easy to maintain. Mary explores her own sexuality with colleagues and with friends such as the hermaphroditic Martian, Vly."