A Sunday Update

Yay Plymouth Argyle!

It's a lovely, sunny day today. Still some snow around but it's mostly dregs. Before I get into books, I just have to congratulate Brighton Seagulls for their victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup, which means they move on to the 5th round. Not sure against whom yet, but that will be revealed on Monday night. Even more amazing, congrats to Plymouth Argyle for their victory over Liverpool FC today. Liverpool are top of the Premiership table while Plymouth are in the division below and anchored on the bottom. What a brave team. They move on and Liverpool are out of the FA Cup. Truly amazing!

So, now, books. I've completed two books since my last update. I'll provide my reviews and also the synopses of the next book(s) I've started. No new books since my last update. 😟☹️

Just Completed

1. Alabaster, the good, the bad and the bird by Caitlin R. Kiernan (2016). I just picked this up at the book store but couldn't wait to check  it out.

"I've been reading and enjoying The Tinfoil Dossier trilogy by Caitlín R. Kiernan, having completed the 1st two books. I decided to check out some of her other work and glommed onto her Alabaster graphic novels. I have to say I've kind of found it difficult to know what order to read them in or even to find copies but I did get Alabaster: The Good, the Bad, and the Bird. 

There is a bit of a back story. The main character, an albino girl, Darcy Flammarion (Dancy) finds herself dead in 'hell', a white maze of sorts. She recalls how she died, at the hands of Maisie. It appears Dancy is some sort of demon fighter? That's not clear. There are five interlinked stories in this particular book. Maisie is recovering from her actions against Dancy and has a companion, a talking black bird. She's trying to make ends meet by pretending to commune with spirits to get money from the grieving.

There are two twins who want to bring Dancy back from the Dead to help them get a key. This key was acquired by the Ghul (werewolves?) in their ancient battles with the Djin. (Got it?). They do manage to bring Dancy back. Dancy reunites with Maisie and the blackbird, but during the night the twins kidnap Maisie and use her as bait to get what they need with the assistance of Dancy.

I mean, that's the story at its simplest. Consider it fantastical horror. The drawing is graphic, dark, gritty. Even without a back story telling more about Darcy Flammarion, it still draws you in and leaves you wanting to find out more. It has made me try to find more of the series. I'll keep you posted about it as well as about the final Tinfoil Dossier book.  😎👍 (3.5 stars)"

2. The Chinese Alchemist by Lyn Hamilton (Lara McClintoch #11 / 2007). This is the 3rd book in my dusty book challenge.

"The Chinese Alchemist by Canadian author Lyn Hamilton is the 11th and final book in her Lara McClintoch, Archaeological mystery series. Luckily for me, I haven't been reading in order so I still have four books in this entertaining and always convoluted mystery series to read.

For those who haven't yet tried this series, Lara is an antiques dealer with a shop in downtown Toronto, Canada, in partnership with her ex-husband. She is in an ongoing relationship with her next door neighbour, an RCMP Sgt. As this story starts, she's received threats from a local Chinese gang, mainly because her beau, Rob, has been involved in investigating the gang. She and Rob are moved into a hotel room to keep them from the gang. 

Lara is going to get an opportunity to forget the threat for awhile as an old acquaintance, Dory, to go to New York to bid on a silver box from the T'ang Dynasty. While there, the box is mysteriously removed from the auction. While there she meets other interested bidders who will play important roles as the story moves from New York to China. Dory passes away and her husband asks Lara to go to Beijing as the box is now being auctioned there.

The mysteries continue as during the auction, the box is stolen from the auction house. Now the mystery really gets going. But as I mentioned earlier, it's very convoluted as the best mysteries are so I won't  into too much detail. Lara tries to find who stole the box, tries to ascertain who might be involved in the theft. She travels through Beijing and also within China, following another of the bidders, a certain Burton Haldimand, as she suspects he's also trying to find the box.

Interspersed with this mystery is the story of a young man living in the T'ang Dynasty, who is sold to become a eunuch in the emperor's palace and becomes involved with one of the emperor's wives, the subject of the box(es). It's an interesting story of life that explains the boxes. The mystery involves possible gangs, stolen antiquities and lots more. Lara, as always, finds herself in the middle of a complex story with her life at risk. The stories are always entertaining and also provide a historical peak at the time of the particular antiquities. Lyn Hamilton unfortunately died much to early and was only able to complete 11 books in this series. Lucky for me that I have the remaining five on my book shelf to enjoy. (3.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

(I've only started one book, my next dusty book. Alabaster was just a quick throw-in)

1. Maigret and the Wine Merchant by Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret #71 / 1970). I haven't been reading this in any particular order, although I have started to work up from the beginning. I read this because it was one of the dusty books that had been on my book shelves the longest, as part of my dusty book challenge)

"The richest wine merchant in Paris is found dead—killed by a bullet in front of an elegant house where discreet clients are in the habit of renting rooms for discreet purposes. Everything seems to point to a crime sparked by jealousy.

But Maigret is surprised to find a curious absence of shock or grief in the victim's family and colleagues, and further investigation into the life and habits of the murdered man reveals some singularly unlovable traits.

Simenon has created another superb and subtle exposition of one of Maigret's chief preoccupations: the idea of guilt."

(Editor's note. As mentioned I have not obtained / received in the mail / or in any other manner any new books since my last update. I do have some on order so hope to provide updates in future posts.)

In one of my last Blog posts, I provided my review of Susan Hill's - Howards End is on the Landing. I mentioned that, in the book, she talked about a scenario where... what if you could only read 40 books for the rest of your life. Now these wouldn't be new books, but rather, books you've previously read and wouldn't mind reading over and over. She put her list at the end of the book. As I said, I have ordered a couple of them. But it also got me thinking... what would be my list. Well, I'm working on it and start a new thread in the near future where I highlight them. Oh these were her basic rules (for herself). Try to pick only one book per author and mix up the genres) Anyway... Wait for mine.

Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Molly Knox Ostertag

Molly Knox Ostertag

I started reading Molly Knox Ostertag's young adult books back in 2023 with her Witch Boy trilogy. Molly grew up in upstate New York, having been born in 1991. Since I read the first Witch Boy book, I've enjoyed the complete trilogy as well as her Deep Dark graphic novel. Molly also illustrates other author's works, Shattered Warrior was an excellent story by Sharon Shinn which she illustrated. But I'll focus on her own work.

1. The Deep Dark (2024).

"I have previously enjoyed the Witch Boy trilogy by Molly Knox Ostertag. It was an enjoyable YA fantasy trilogy. So I figured that The Deep Dark would probably be a similar type story. I was wrong.

The Deep Dark is a more adult fantasy story although I think it could also be read by teens and Young adults, but it is a darker story indeed. Magdalena Herrera lives with her grandmother, her abuela, in a desert community in California. Grannie has cancer so Mags' life revolves around caring for her. There is a mystery to their lives. The story does move between the past and present as the story develops. What is the mystery? Something in the cellar. 

Mags has a difficult relationship with one of the girls in school. Ava loves Mags but also has a boyfriend so their get togethers are necessarily clandestine. Mags has difficulty having a personal life because of her family issues. Compounding Mags' situation, an old friend, Nessa turns up for a visit. Mags hasn't seen her since a childhood incident. Nessa has now transitioned from a boy to a her / she. 

So besides the personal issues in Mags' life, there is this mystery... what is in the basement? What happened to another youngster back when Mags and Nessa were kids? What killed Emil? Why does Mags go down into the cellar every night and why is her hand always bandaged? 

It's a fascinating, twisty story filled with guilt, love, friendship. And when Nessa's ex-boyfriend, Aaron shows up, there are even more twists. Lots of surprises, great relationship development and interesting characters. And great artwork. All in all, an interesting graphic novel that will have you turning page to page to see what is going to happen next. I may have to check out The Girl from the Sea or Darkest Night. (4.0 stars)"

2. The Witch Boy (#1 / 2017).

"The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag is the first graphic YA Fantasy in her Witch Boy trilogy. It's entertaining, well-drawn and satisfying.

Basically you've got a clan of witches (the women) and shapeshifters (the men) who live in the woods. The daughters are taught to be witches and learn witching and the boys are taught to be shapeshifters and never the twain shall meet.

Of course, there is a twist. Young Aster is supposed to be learning to shapeshift but he lacks the talent and / or the desire. Instead he spies on the girls as they are taught to be witches, taking notes, trying out spells. He is regularly told off about this past time. It's forbidden after all. At some point the small community is placed under attack by a demon; one of the boys disappears, then others. 

Aster and a human friend, Charlie, decide they are the only ones who can defeat the demon and that's the story. It's a neat little story. It gets going right away, has a good pace and is a fun, entertaining read. It's not earth shattering by any means but it will keep you involved until the satisfying ending. Try it. (4.0 stars)"

2. The Hidden Witch (#2 / 2018).

"The Hidden Witch is the 2nd book in the Witch Boy YA graphic novel trilogy by Molly Knox Ostertag. What a wonderful series for pre-teens and young adults getting into reading. Bright, colorful artwork and a great story.

In Book 2, Aster, the Witch Boy, is now learning witchcraft at his home. In the initial story, we learned that boys in the family are learn to become shapeshifters while only the girls learn witchcraft. But Aster listened in to lessons and by the end his family agreed that they needed to change the rules.

In this second story, Aster continues his lessons and also helps Grandmother with a special project, trying to heal her brother, Mikasi, who also learned magic but let it get an evil hold on him. At the same time, Aster's non-witch friend, Charlie, is back in high school and meets a new girl, Ariel, who has her own troubled past.

Ariel is a foster child and has moved from school to school. She is also a witch and her dark side, a Fetch, is gaining control. Charlie, Aster and his cousin, Sedge all work to help Ariel escape from this dark magic that is growing inside her.

It's a fascinating story, more polished maybe than the first. It flows nicely and draws you in right from the get - go. Great characters, a story of friendship and its power to heal. Loved it and now will move on to the final story in the trilogy. (4.0 stars)"

3. The Midwinter Witch (#3 / 2019).

"The Midwinter Witch is the third and final (hoping there might eventually be more) book in author Molly Knox Ostertag's Witch Boy YA fantasy graphic novel trilogy. It was a joy to read.

In this final instalment, Aster, his family and new friends, Charlie and Ariel head off to his extended family's midwinter celebration. It's a chance for the family to reunite and there are competitions for the best shapeshifter and best witch.

Ariel, who is learning to harness her witchy powers with the family, has doubts about going as she is a foster child and feels somewhat not a part of everything. She also begins having dreams where she meets her mother's sister and this causes confusion for Ariel. Aster is determined to compete in the Witch competition even though he is the first boy to take part (witching had traditionally been practiced only by the women of the family) even though his mother asks him not to.

So there is tension amidst the family celebrations. Other distant relatives try to make Aster uncomfortable. Ariel's aunt wants her to leave the family and come with her even though she isn't a particularly nice witch. It makes for an entertaining, exciting story. Once again the characters are wonderful and engaging. The artwork in this graphic novel series has always been bright, clearly drawn and so colorful. I enjoyed all of them immensely. If you've got young children interested in reading, you can't go wrong with this series. Heck, it's just a fun, entertaining read for adults. That's what I tell myself anyway. (4.0 stars)"

Some examples of Molly Knox Ostertag's work for you to consider. Great for young adults / middle school kids. You can find out more about Molly and her work at this link or at her own webpage.

Have a great week!

February is Here - A Sunday Update

Well, we had a tad of snow fall on Friday and it's still cold, but that's about it so far. Not a whole heck of a lot to report on but let's do a beginning month reading update.

Finished

1. Pearl by Sherri L. Smith and Christine Norrie (2024).

"I am constantly amazed at the variety in graphic novels and the talent of the authors and artists that make them. Pearl by Sherri L. Smith and illustrated by Christine Norrie was no exception. It's a powerful touching story set during WWII and follows Japanese - American girl Amy. Before the war, Amy and her family live in Hawaii. Amy has to go to Japan when her great grandmother, who was once a pearl diver, falls ill. Because her young brother has just been born, Amy's parents can't make the trip, so they send Amy.

While Amy is in Japan... her family lives near Hiroshima, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. This effectively isolates Amy in Japan for the duration of the war. Amy gets caught up in the war. As a Nisei (Japanese American) she and other Nisei in Japan are tasked by the Japanese Army to monitor American radio transmissions. While working there, Amy discovers that her family back in Hawaii has been arrested and sent to a camp. This changes Amy's attitude to America, causing much confusion within her; was she American or Japanese? 

As the war begins to turn against the Japanese, life becomes more difficult in Japan; food shortages, depression. Amy's grandmother succumbs to her illness and finally Amy is caught in the nuclear blast that destroyed Hiroshima. As the war ends, Amy has a long road to recovery and while she tries to return to the US and her family, the post war suspicion makes her efforts difficult if not impossible.

It's fascinating story, presenting a history of which I wasn't all that aware. The story is stark, becoming even starker as the war progresses and the artwork becomes more and more bleak and dark. It moves along quickly and while some aspects may be glossed over somewhat, it's still a powerful, interesting, touching story. A history that should be read. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Howards End is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home by Susan Hill (2009). I bought this book back in 2024. It's sort of a perfect book; a book about books and authors and so far it hasn't disappointed.

"This is a year of reading from home, by one of Britain's most distinguished authors. Early one autumn afternoon in pursuit of an elusive book on her shelves, Susan Hill encountered dozens of others that she had never read, or forgotten she owned, or wanted to read for a second time. The discovery inspired her to embark on a year-long voyage through her books, forsaking new purchases in order to get to know her own collection again. A book which is left on a shelf for a decade is a dead thing, but it is also a chrysalis, packed with the potential to burst into new life. Wandering through her house that day, Hill's eyes were opened to how much of that life was stored in her home, neglected for years. 'Howards End is on the Landing' charts the journey of one of the nation's most accomplished authors as she revisits the conversations, libraries and bookshelves of the past that have informed a lifetime of reading and writing."

New Books

1. Black Mail by Doris Miles Disney (1958).

"Aging, embittered Inez Blaine wages an anonymous poison pen letter assault against several prominent bank employees but reserves her special letter-writing wrath for Lucia Rutyer, whose reputation, career, and life Inez wanted destroyed."

Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Caitlin R. Kiernan

Caitlin R. Kiernan

Caitlin R. Kiernan is an Irish author of horror and fantasy. She was born in Dublin in 1964 and has authored 20+ novels and novellas / short stories. I tried the first book in her Tinfoil Dossier trilogy in 2022 and have since enjoyed the 2nd book in the series. I have #3 on my bookshelf and have ordered another series. Let's take a look at the Tinfoil trilogy.

1. Agents of Dreamland (2017).

"Agents of Dreamland is my first exposure to Caitlín R. Kiernan and is the first book in her Tinfoil Dossier trilogy. 

The Signalman, an agent of the government, was sent to a farmhouse in the Salton Sea to investigate what appears to be a cult. The story starts after this event with him going to Winslow, Arizona to meet Immocolata Sexton, an agent of the British (I think). She also seems able to travel between time lines, although that's not totally clear yet. The two exchange information, the Signalman, info on what he discovered at the ranch and Sexton, info from her previous investigations.

It's not totally clear what has been discovered at Salton Sea, except the bodies of cult members who were infected with some fungus? It's changed them and it's infectious and it may have come from outer space, from somewhere beyond Pluto. This has happened many times over the decades and Sexton has investigated them, as well as what happens to the world in the future?? Oh, and what has happened to cult leader Drew Standish? And what is in the Black Book???? Questions!

It's an intriguing opening to this trilogy and leaves more questions than answers. Kiernan is an intelligent writer, very descriptive and she creates a tense, eerie scenario. It's a short story, more a novella but it does draw you in quite quickly. I assume you can get the three stories in one package but now that I've got this on, next in line is Black Helicopters. (3.5)"

2. Black Helicopters (2015). 

"Black Helicopters is the second book in the weirdly wonderful Tinfoil Dossier trilogy by Caitlín R. Kiernan. How to describe it? I'm not sure I can.

Let's see. First there are the albino twins, la Bete and Ivoire. la Bete is by Deer Island with 66 and soldiers, X agents, CIA / FBI, etc. as they battle Lovecraftian creatures who have taken over the island and rise from the sea to battle these troops. Bete is hooked on drugs... Then we move to Ireland where Ivoire and is being 'protected?' by Twimsby while assassins from the various agencies try to get rid of her. There is a sort of time travel as the Egyptian, Ptolema, moves from time to time (I think) In the future it seems that Earth is kind of a Water world..... I think.. LOL.

So now that you know what's going on. Even though I'm constantly confused, I'm also constantly amazed. It's like a Philip K. Dick story when he was writing his most drugged out stories... It's dark, poetic at times, philosophical, horrific, and great Sci Fi. I'm looking forward to #3, The Tindalos Asset to see how it all wraps up. Will the Signalman from Book 1 make more of an appearance? (3.5 stars)"

3. The Tindalos Asset (2020).

"The Signalman returns in The Tindalos Asset.

A rundown apartment in Koreatown. A Los Angeles winter. A strung out, worn out, wrecked and used government agent is scraped up off the pavement, cleaned up, and reluctantly sent out into battle one last time.

Ellison Nicodemo has seen and done terrible things. She thought her only remaining quest was for oblivion. Then the Signalman comes calling. He wants to learn if she can stop the latest apocalypse. Ellison, once a unique and valuable asset, can barely remember why she ever fought the good fight.

Still, you don't say no to the Signalman, and the time has come to face her fears and the nightmare forces that almost destroyed her. Only Ellison can unleash the hound of Tindalos. . ."

It's an interesting concept and series. I've since ordered the Darcy Flammarion graphics. You can find out more about Caitlin and her work at this link. Enjoy your February. Read a good book.