How time flies when you're.... well, you know how the expression goes. It's been a busy reading couple of weeks. I'll list all of the books I've read since my last update but I may only provide reviews for a few favorites as I think I've read quite a few (November was graphic novel month and in December I'm focusing on children's / middle grade type books, so they do go fairly quickly) What with the postal strike, I've been buying more books locally, which I always enjoy. I'll list them all, but once again, maybe only provide synopses for a select few.
Recently Finished
1. Tank Girl #3 by Alan C. Martin (1996) (2.5 stars)
"One of the first Sci-Fi authors that I remember enjoying (and my memory is faulty due to my increasing old age... ) was English author John Wyndham. The first book I remember reading by him was Day of the Triffids, a book I've read two or three times. Since then I've enjoyed many of his books; The Chrysalids, The Kraken Wakes, The Midwich Cuckoos, etc. When I saw that I had a copy of Chocky (1968), I thought I must have read it before but I decided to try it anyway.
I think Wyndham's later work (from the books I highlighted especially) displayed a unique story telling style, kind of like Nevil Shute of Sci Fi. The characters are usually unassuming people, the main story tellers, caught up in unique situations and handling them with common sense and aplomb. In this story, Matthew is the 12 year old adopted son of Mary and the narrator (I don't know if we ever get his name). At a later date they finally have their own child, Polly.While growing up, Polly had an imaginary friend, Piff, who she eventually grows away from. The story starts with her older brother now exhibiting signs also of having such a friend, named Chocky. While they are concerned, the parents feel it is something that Matthew will outgrow. A series of incidents and just school reports raise their concern again. Dad has a medical friend over to talk with Matthew. He talks about 'possession'.
I won't get into the story anymore except that the connection with Chocky grows but there remain few answers about who this Chocky is. Matthew does try to explain but being still barely a teenager, he finds it difficult to communicate his perceptions. Chocky has views about Earth, various physics type ideas, even art and perception.
The story isn't scary at all, but it's still a fascinating read. There are connections of sorts to other Wyndham stories, especially The Chrysalids and The Midwich Cuckoos (also published as Village of the Damned) with their plots about children with 'powers' of the mind. The parents reminded me of the couple in The Kraken Wakes, level-headed, commonsensical and dealing with a unique situation. It's kind of a coming of age type story, a boy growing up and dealing with a strange situation. Well written, entertaining and even touching. I still prefer other Wyndham stories but Chocky is still an excellent tale. (4.0 stars)"
3. Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV (2020) (3.5 stars)
4. The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln (2024) (3.5 stars)
"The Wind's Twelve Quarters is a collection of short stories by Ursula K. Le Guin. As she states in the forward, "This collection is what painters call a retrospective; it gives a roughly chronological survey of my short stories during the first ten years after I broke into print, belated but undaunted, at the age of thirty-two." There are 17 short stories, each with a brief explanation or foreword about the story, how it might relate to some of her novels, etc.
Overall, I found it an interesting, enjoyable book (and now that I've said that, it seems like I'm damning with faint praise, which definitely is not my intent. It's just more a demonstration of my lack of ability in describing something.😔). Do you have to have read her novels to grasp some of the stories? No, not necessarily, but some of them do relate to her Earthsea books or her Hainish stories. She does explain where the particular short story fits in so that makes it easier.
It's a nice mix of stories, fantasy, Sci Fi in all its varieties and just original thoughts. I found Direction of the Road particularly fascinating, a story of life from the perspective of an ancient oak tree and how its life is impacted by the introduction of a highway beside it. Semley's Necklace struck a chord with me as I'd just finished Rocannon's World recently and the tale of how Semley finds her necklace and the impact of space - time and its impact on her homeworld and her life was very poignant. April in Paris was a strange time travel / wizardy magic story. The Masters deals with technology vs religion. In some ways it made me think of The Canticle for Leibovitz... just in some ways. This story covers the rediscovery of a wheel and pleas for heresy. I could go into all of the stories, but let's just highlight a couple of more, The Word of Unbinding which brings you to the world of Earthsea and the power of names and also dragons.. Vaster than Empires and More Slow talks about a scientific expedition to another galaxy and the effects on the mental stability of the crew as it meets 'life' on the planet. Quite a scary story.
Suffice it to say that the ability to craft a short story, to quickly get into the plot, to introduce the characters and to satisfyingly tell a story that satisfies the reader is quite a unique talent. Alice Munro has this ability and so does Ursula LeGuin. What makes her unique in this field is that she was equally comfortable writing short stories or novels. I always find her stories, in either style, interesting, thoughtful and so well-crafted. The Wind's Twelve Quarters was no exception. (4.0 stars)
"What a wonderful, perfect, gentle, loving book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is. I found it by chance as there were a couple of people talking about it as I wandered around my favorite local book store. I had to take a look at it and it looked beautiful with the drawing of the horse and his 3 companions on the cover. The title was also in a wonderful cursive script. As I scanned some of the interior pages, I had to take a chance on it.
There is an expression I regularly hear on the Great British Bake-off, 'style over substance', meaning it looks good but leaves something to the desire when it comes to taste. Well, this book has style, wonderful drawings by Charlie Mackesy and it also has substance, just a beautiful story about love, caring and friendship.
The story, which is more of a novella actually, starts with the 'boy' sitting by himself and meeting the 'mole'. As they wander, the boy askes questions, the mole answers... the mole seems to think everything revolves around cake, which is no bad thing. While sitting in a tree, they meet the fox who is trapped. While not very talkative, he threatens to eat the mole. Even so, the mole helps him get free and later on the fox returns the favor. As the 3 continue their journey, they meet the horse and continue their walk. The horse seems to be the logical one with the answers he provides to questions.
The simplicity and beauty of the dialogue resonates...
"Sometimes I worry you'll all realise I'm ordinary," said the boy.
"Love doesn't need you to be extraordinary: said the mole.
"We all need a reason to keep going," said the horse. "What's yours?"
"You three", said the fox.
"Getting home," said the boy.
"Cake," said the mole.
I don't want to use up all of the wonderful quotes, but I had to add this one for you.
"I've discovered something better than cake."
"No you haven't," said the boy.
"I have," said the mole.
"What is it?"
"A hug. It last longer." *sniff* (that was me)
The story, the journey and the wonderful artwork make for a perfect little wonderful story. One that is fine to read by yourself, but one that is even better to share with a loved one... Enjoy. (5 stars)"
7. 1984: The Graphic Novel by Fido Nesti (2021) (4.0 stars)
"Woman, Life, Freedom is an excellent graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi and a group of excellent comic artists and 3 other authors; political scientist Farid Vahid, acclaimed journalist Jean - Pierre Perrin and historian Abbas Milani. The graphic novel centers around the death of Iranian Mahsa Amin, who was beaten by Iran's Morality police for not wearing her veil.
The book covers the history, the politics and all aspects of life in Iran and for those Iranians who were forced out of the country to save their lives. It's a wide - ranging story covering the ongoing revolution to regain democracy in Iran, the history of Iran, the treatment of protesters (a detailed list of some of those murdered by the regime for daring to challenge authority), various anecdotal stories about life in Iran; women who dare to disguise themselves so they can go to a soccer match with men; a simple (seemingly)story of a woman trying to live a normal life and risking it, just to spend time with normal activities.
There are fascinating sections covering the decadence of the ruling class; pretending to be loyal Muslims while in Iran but living the high life of dancing, drinking, etc when away. There is the inability to trust people around you, whether in the country or outside because the regime has spies everywhere, pretending to be normal citizens but 'maybe' reporting back to the regime. To be a woman or a man supporting women's rights in Iran is highlighted throughout. Chapter 3 starts with a segment entitled 'Names that will go down in history'; Niloofar Hamedi who took photos of Mahsa Amini who was in a coma. She tweeted the photo and was arrested shortly thereafter. Elaheh traveled to the hometown of Mahsa to cover her funeral and was arrested as well. Doctors who dared to treat protesters who rallied against the regime were arrested. Lawyers defending protesters were arrested, thrown in prison, lost the rights to practice as a lawyer. And on and on.
One of the most terrifying chapters Women Saying No has a page about White Torture. Female prisoners who committed no crime were placed in a totally white room. 'With no sense of time, of day and night... the whiteness starts to take over their body, their mind and soul... and their personality dissolves into nothingness." Terrifying; a version of George Orwell's 1984 in real life.
And yet the book is still filled with hope. The mantra Woman, Life, Freedom permeates the story. There is a persistent hope that the regime will sink into the earth, that with this continuous democratic pressure, that right - minded Iranians will finally get to live the lives that they deserve. They just need the support an an opportunity to create this environment. This was powerful and excellent, and I highly recommend. (4.5 stars)"
9. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson (2015) (4.0 stars)
10. Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin (Catwings #3) (3.5 stars)
"I was first attracted to In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune by its wonderful cover designed by Red Nose Studios, specifically Chris Sickels. The story outline then sounded intriguing and then, of course, the story, which was wonderful.
In the Lives is about Vic, a young boy, who lives with his father, Giovanni Lawson, in a fantastic house in the woods. Vic's best friends are Nurse Ratchet and Rambo. So let's stop there for a moment. Vic is human, maybe one of the last humans left. Giovanni is a robot / android, an inventor. Nurse Ratchet and Rambo are both robots that Vic found in the huge junk heap near their house, and repaired them. Ratchet is as her name describes a medical robot and Rambo is basically an oversized Roomba. Both have personalities - plus.
The three are best friends and spend their time wandering through the forest and sneaking visits to the dump. They must be careful because the dump is patrolled by huge robots and they must avoid them at all costs. The dump is a valuable place, filled with broken robots, repair parts, etc, etc.
Oh, I forgot, Vic designed a heart for Giovanni, made of wood, that helps keep Giovanni going... and makes him more human?? Anyway, one day, the threesome discover a broken robot at the dump, missing some parts. They bring it home to Giovanni, who is very upset. The robot is a HARP, basically killer robots designed by the mysterious Authority, to hunt down and destroy humans and rebellious robots. Still, Vic and Gio bring Hap (now named thusly) to life, repair his broken parts and give him a new heart as well.
They must spend time now, helping Hap remember but also trying to make him more gentle and friendly. HOWEVER.... one day while visiting the dump, they see a floating ... er, robot? the Terrible Dogfish, which discovers their home in the woods, and they take Giovanni away. He has made Vic and the others hide in a secret room under the house. Only Nurse Ratchet knew about it.
This is where the story takes off and I won't go into much more detail, except to say that Vic decides to go the City of Electric Dreams (Las Vegas) with his friends to rescue Giovanni. And it's a very exciting trip and adventure where they will meet other robots and even the Blue Fairy. (Oh right, this story is a modern, Sci-Fi take on the Pinocchio story... Mind you, who actually Pinocchio? Vic or Hap?) Anyway, on this trip, Vic will discover many disconcerting, troubling things about his father, Giovanni and about Hap that will require him to try and reconcile his feelings about life and the whole damn thing.
It's a fascinating, rich story. All of the characters are neat (yes, I said neat) and so funny and interesting. Well, they're not all funny but the core 4 are just great. As an aside, Klune said he got the idea for the story by watching his Roomba and then adding ears to it. Strange, eh? Rambo is one of my favorites, optimistic, in love with the movie Top Hat and won't stop talking. Nurse Ratchet is like her namesake in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest except she's so much more, smart, evil, funny, just a bit of everything. Vic is a boy, smart, inquisitive, trying to adjust and survive in a world of robots... It's just a wonderful, entertaining story. I can't try to describe it all... (4.5 stars)"
So there you go, 11 books since my last update. I've whittled my Currently Reading list down to 7.
Currently Reading
1. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig (2019). I've been working on this since the end of June but I've made steady progress since I started it at the end of June. Consider it as The Stand but without the humor??? That was a joke.
"Meet the Bertie, Betsy, their children, Brutus and Bunny, along with their beloved grandma Old Lady Blunder, and their pet ostrich, Cedric. An ostrich is not a sensible pet, but then the Blunders are not sensible people. This family of upper-class twits lives in a crumbling country house named Blunder Hall. When their home comes under threat, they must embark on a series of comic misadventures to save it."
3. Jane on Her Own by Ursula K. Le Guin (Catwings #4). The final book in this children's series.
"Shipwrecked on a remote, wild island, Robot Roz learned from the unwelcoming animal inhabitants and adapted to her surroundings--but can she survive the challenges of the civilized world and find her way home to Brightbill and the island?"
5. If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (1974). This is my first exposure to Baldwin's work. I'm getting into it now.
6. Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia (Harlem Renaissance #1 / 2021). I've been neglecting this mystery but will focus more once I finish either Beale Street or Wanderers.
"In this electric and heartfelt follow-up to Newbery Medal–winner The Crossover, soccer, family, love, and friendship take center stage as twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. From the dynamic team behind the graphic novel edition of The Crossover.
Twelve-year-old Nick is a soccer-loving boy who absolutely hates books. In this graphic novel version of Booked, the follow-up to the Newbery Medal–winning novel The Crossover, soccer, family, love, and friendship take center stage as Nick tries to figure out how to navigate his parents’ divorce, stand up to a bully, and impress the girl of his dreams. These challenges—which seem even harder than scoring a tie-breaking, game-winning goal—change his life, as well as his best friend’s."
New Books
1. Bear by Marian Engels (1976)
"A treasure trove of collected works from the legendary author of The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace
Queen Gertrude gives Hamlet a piece of her mind.
An ugly sister and a wicked stepmother put in a good word for themselves.
A reincarnated bat explains how Bram Stoker got Dracula hopelessly wrong.
Bones and Murder is a bewitching cocktail of prose and poetry, fiction and fairytales, as well as some of Atwood's own illustrations. It's pure distilled deliciously strong and bittersweet."
3. Red Mandarin Dress by Qiu Xiaolong (Inspector Chen #5 / 2007). I enjoyed the first book in this mystery series very much.
4. Passage by Connie Willis (2001). I have read and enjoyed one of Willis's Oxford Time Travel books.
5. Tarzan at the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan #13 / 1929). I do like this series. I pick up a book every year or so.
"The latest installment in the adventures of Miles Vorkosigan. Miles and Cousin Ivan travel to Cetaganda to play the part of sprigs of nobility doing their diplomatic duty. But when the Empress of Cetaganda dies naturally, and her lifelong attendant dies unnaturally, Miles and Ivan finds themselves in the thick of it."
7. The Amulet: Escape from Lucien by Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet #6 / 2014)
8. Monstress: Warchild by Marjorie Liu (Monstress #5 / 2020)
"It’s easy to be yourself when who and what you are is in vogue. But growing up Black and gay in America has never been easy. Before Billy Porter was slaying red carpets and giving an iconic Emmy–winning performance in the celebrated TV show Pose ; before he was the groundbreaking Tony and Grammy Award–winning star of Broadway’s Kinky Boots ; and before he was an acclaimed recording artist, actor, playwright, director, and all-around legend, Porter was a young boy in Pittsburgh who was seen as different, who didn’t fit in. At five years old, Porter was sent to therapy to “fix” his effeminacy. He was endlessly bullied at school, sexually abused by his stepfather, and criticized at his church. Porter came of age in a world where simply being himself was a constant struggle.
Billy Porter’s Unprotected is the life story of a singular artist and survivor in his own words. It is the story of a boy whose talent and courage opened doors for him, but only a crack. It is the story of a teenager discovering himself, learning his voice and his craft amid deep trauma. And it is the story of a young man whose unbreakable determination led him through countless hard times to where he is now; a proud icon who refuses to back down or hide. Porter is a multitalented, multifaceted treasure at the top of his game, and Unprotected is a resonant, inspirational story of trauma and healing, shot through with his singular voice."
"Founded by a mysterious genius, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world. In this island paradise, Prospera's lucky citizens enjoy long, fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below 10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed, their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life afresh.
Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, has a satisfying career as a ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement process--and, when necessary, enforcing it. But all is not well with Proctor. For one thing, he's been dreaming--which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry.
Meanwhile, something is stirring. The Support Staff, ordinary men and women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there are rumors spreading of a resistance group--known as "Arrivalists"--who may be fomenting revolution.
Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed, entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized--and on a desperate mission to uncover the truth."
There you go. Update complete. Maybe you'll get a few present ideas for Christmas in this BLog entry. Have a great December. Read many good books.
