Oh well. We had a nice day today. Jo went out and did some shopping, bought me a couple of nice t-shirts and also a nice sweater shell. Then we had lunch at Benino's and I let her win four out of five games of Sequence. 😎😑
So before I take the puppies for their evening walk, let's do a quick update. I've finished two books, both excellent, since my update on Thursday. So, two reviews for you and also the synopses of the next two books.
Just Finished
"Young adult story
Not my normal reading style
Took my breath away.
When I look at myself in the mirror and then at my bookshelves, The Poet X| by Elizabeth Acevedo probably had everything going against it.
Mystery? Nope
Sci-Fi? Nope
It's poetry! I've said many times that my relationship with poetry is a troubled one, albeit, in the past few years, it has improved somewhat.
So let's continue.
Is the story about a senior citizen? Nope
A grey haired, bearded older gentleman (using that term loosely)? Nope
A white, sort of Anglo / Franco mixture of a guy? Nope.
Someone who lived a fairly normal life with a reasonably mild family life? Well....
It's a story told by a young high school girl of Dominican / American descent who can't deal with her overly religious mother and hides behind her poetry. Yup, that's definitely me. Not!
Ok, with all of those caveats, I have one thing to say. Wow! This book just took my breath away. Beautiful writing, easy to grasp poetry, powerful, breath-taking story. By the end, my heart was beating quite loudly, as I turned page after page, hoping that things would turn out better for Xiomara and her twin brother both dealing with an overbearing, strict mother. I'll let you read it to find out.
Read it! Read it! Open your minds and hearts. Such a rare talent. (5.0 stars)"
"William Gibson has been hit or miss for me. There are times I just don't get and don't want to get his books; The Difference Engine (w/ Bruce Sterling) and The Peripheral for example. I gave up on both books. But when it works and, for the most part I'd say it does, it really works. The Bridge Trilogy, Virtual Light (#1), All Tomorrow's Parties (#3) and now Idoru (#2) are perfect examples. I enjoyed this whole trilogy, having given 5 - stars to Virtual Light and now to Idoru.
Gibson's take on Sci-Fi, like Philip K Dick and others is unique. Idoru is a wonderful mix of Sci-Fi and excellent, sympathetic characters and just a downright excellent story. I won't say I understood all of the technology, but what the heck, for such a great story, it didn't matter. I just sort of swam in it and enjoyed the ride.
Let's see, the story in brief. Two characters, teenager Chia and middle-aged? man, Laney find themselves in Tokyo. They are there for different reasons but their lives will become intertwined. Chia is a rep from the American fan club for an experimental internettish band, Lo-Rez who has been sent by her club to find out what's the what with Rez, the band's leader. It seems that Rez has fallen in love with an internet, hologram, the Idoru and they plan to marry. Laney used to work for a ... um.... public relations sort of company, Slitscan, but was fired after a girl he was tracking online (he uses nodal research... see what I mean about technology??) committed suicide. Laney is trying for a new job working for Rez's security team, using his nodal abilities to find out about Idoru.
So, that's it, sort of. There are a few little twists. Mary Alice, who flies to Tokyo on the same flight as Chia, slips some kind of contraband into Chia's backpack, without Chia realizing. This will bring the Russians, the Kombinat, and Mary Alice's boyfriend into the picture as they try to find Chia. Laney's old boss, Kathy, is after him, trying to blackmail him to helping them get Rez.
There are fantastic characters in this story. Besides, Laney and Chia, there are Blackwell, the Aussie man mountain who protects Rez. There is Mr. Yamazaki, the mild assistant to Blackwell, who will make another appearance in All Tomorrow's Parties. There is Masashiko, brother of one of the Tokyo fan club members of Lo-Rez, who is a member of The Walled City, a 'free' internet site who will assist Chia so very much. My favorite character is Arleigh, who works for Blackwell as well, and who, while a reasonably minor character, helps Laney so very much. She's just lovely, common sense, brave... Even Mary Alice is nat. Not to forget Chia's fan club member Nona Rosa, a troubled character whose story, such as it is revealed, will hit you in the heart.
It's such a well-crafted, drawn story. Future Tokyo is fascinating, the story moves along at a steady, attention-grabbing pace, each chapter alternating from Chia to Laney's storyline. As their lives become more intrinsically linked, thanks to the Idoru, the pace picks up and your involvement with the story and characters will deepen. Fascinating, excellent story. Loved it so much. It reminded me of why I enjoy Sci-Fi so very much. Thank you, William Gibson (5.0 stars)"
Currently Reading
"A small band of travelers seeks to prevent a tyrant from finding the various pieces of a gate that, when fully assembled, will give him enormous power."
"Arriving in the English countryside to live with her mother and new stepfather, Jenny has no interest in her surroundings until she meets Tamsin. Since her death over 300 years ago, Tamsin has haunted the lonely estate without rest, trapped by a hidden trauma she can't remember, and a powerful evil even the spirits of night cannot name. To help her, Jenny must delve deeper into the dark world than any human has in hundreds of years, and face danger that will change her life forever. . . ."
(No new books to talk about. I'm feeling no pressure to buy any. 😓 In fact, I cleaned up my book shelves a bit and removed some that I don't think I'll read and put them in my Little Free Library)
Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Magdalen Nabb
Magdalen Nabb was born in Lancashire in 1947 and passes away in 2007. She was known (by me) for the Marshal Guarnaccia mystery series set in Italy. Over the course of her life she wrote 14 books in this series, starting in 1981. She also wrote 3 standalone novels. I have read the first book in the series so far and found it interesting enough that I will continue the series. I have 4 more books sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me to try them.
Magdalen Nabb
"The body of a woman, clad only in a fur coat and jewelry, is found floating in the Arno at dawn. Marshal Guarnaccia of the Florentine carabinieri identifies her as a missing hotel guest. But how and why did she die? Was it a bizarre suicide? Or murder?"
"The kidnapping for ransom of a beautiful American-born contessa poses Marshal Guarnaccia's gravest challenge."
"A prominent writer is found dead in the Villa Torrini outside of Florence without any marks of physical harm on her. Her husband, who was heavily intoxicated in the next room, is exhibiting signs of guilt, but the carabinieri are having trouble finding concrete evidence against him. Marshal Guarnaccia, who is already struggling with a strict diet and the intricacies of a new legal system, has little faith in his own ability to solve the case, but his intuition turns out to be invaluable."
"Marshal Guarnaccia's job with the Carabinieri usually involves restoring stolen handbags to grateful old ladies and lost cameras to bewildered tourists. So when he is assigned to work with the Florence police in trying to track down a vicious serial killer, he feels out of his league. The crimes he must try to understand are grotesque, the case materials harrowing. To make matters worse, the Proc he must report to is Simonetti, the same man he knows drove an innocent man to suicide several years earlier in his blind quest for a conviction."
There you go. I hope I've given you some reading ideas. Enjoy your Sunday and the rest of February.
No comments:
Post a Comment