Spending our Sunday watching Spring Training baseball and the finals of the Brier (that would be curling). Manitoba vs Team Canada in the final a bit later on. That'll be a replay of yesterday's fascinating semi-final. Hope this is as good a game.
So while we relax below is an update on books read, books started and new books added to my bookshelf.
Just Finished
"The Better to Eat You is the second mystery I've enjoyed by American mystery writer, Charlotte Armstrong. It's a neat little mystery, with lots going on and many twists and turns. Most enjoyable page turner.
Professor David Wakely finds himself attracted to one of his students, Sarah Shepherd. He's impressed with her work and offers her a job as a research assistant. He's very surprised by her response. She tells him she's a Jonah, a jinx, and that anyone with whom she's involved has accidents or worse tragedies.
Wakely is now intrigued and forces his way into her life, showing up at the families estate and trying to persuade her Grandfather, an ex-song and dance man from England, to let her help him. The household is peopled with strange, mysterious residents; Grandfather Fox (is he who he seems to be?), Malvina, Sarah's cousin?, and Edgar Perrott, Grandfather's personal physician. They all watch over Sarah and it becomes obvious that they have some ulterior motives towards her.
Now, interestingly, none of this is hidden from the reader. We see the story from all of their points of view, although David is the major protagonist. Does Grandfather want to kill Sarah? If so, why? Or is it Malvina? It's a fascinating interplay of reactions and interactions. Who is doing what? Why?
So many questions keep popping up and the story moves along very nicely. The characters are all interesting. The weakest might be Sarah, although she is everybody's seeming target, so maybe that's understandable. All in all, it's a fascinating story and mystery. Well worth checking out. (4.0 stars)"
"Adulthood Rites by Octavia E. Butler is the 2nd book in the Xenogenesis trilogy. I think it's also called Lilith's Brood. Not that it matters, eh? It's a complex story (series) and I readily admit there is lots I don't understand; difficulty trying to wrap my mind around the alien species. Like what's the difference between Oankali or Ooloi, or even the shipborne Akjai??? I get the gist of it, and it doesn't affect my enjoyment of this story.
The first book, Dawn, dealt with Lilith herself. She wakes up on a spaceship and is used by the Oankali to wake up other humans that are kept in stasis on the ship. Basically there was a nuclear war on Earth, destroying much of the planet. The Oankali, removed as many humans as they could, started a process of bringing the planet back to life and then wanted Lilith and other humans to repopulate the planet. This meant breeding with the humans themselves, making human / Oankali constructs. Mankind is basically made sterile, so they can't breed and create new 'strictly' human children.
So now we move to Adulthood Rites which focuses on one of Lilith's children, bred with two Oankali beings. This would be Akin, at this point before metamorphosis, a human / Oankali boy. He looks mostly human at this point. His main Oankali characteristic is his tongue, which he can use to taste and sample humans, plants, etc. It's unknown what he will look like when he completely metamorphoses (*sp?). At some point he is kidnapped by a group of 'Resisters' who want to sell him to other human villages. Many humans have divorced themselves from the Oankali and want to live normal human lives on Earth; even though they can't breed amongst themselves. Hence the desire to have human construct kids. (Got it?)
Akin lives for a year or more with a village, a child of Tate and Gabe. While there he begins to understand their desire to be human. This will help him decide what he wants to do with his life when his metamorphosis is complete; that being to help humanity survive. And that's the crux of the story; Akin's growing up and his plan to save humanity, with or without Oankali assistance. It's a rich, fascinating story. At times very depressing as we see how humans still want to kill each other to get what they want. But at the same time, there is optimism and hope and a possibility for mankind to survive into the future.
Akin is an excellent character and there are others who stand out, especially Tate. We don't get much of an appearance from Lilith in this story. She's kind of persona non grata with the 'humans' because they think she betrayed them. It's a fascinating look at the future and also such an interesting Sci-Fi story. Well-written, strong character development and just a real great page - turner of a story. Now to find a copy of Imago the final chapter in this trilogy. (4.0 stars)"
"The original Enola Holmes novels were written by Nancy Springer, a collection of nine stories. Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels: The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, and The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets is a re-imagining of the stories in graphic novel format by French writer and artist Serena Blasco. Book one contains the first three stories.
Enola Holmes is the 14 year old sister of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. The first story starts off with her discovering that her mother has disappeared. They have been estranged from the two brothers, who disapproved of their mother's life style. But the two arrive at Enola's home to try and discover what has happened. Sherlock leaves to return to London and begin investigating their mother's disappearance. Mycroft determines that Enola needs to be sent to boarding school to learn to behave like a proper lady.
Enola runs away and decides the best place to hide out from the two in under their noses in London. Before she leaves for London, she discovers that her mother has left her a notebook with secret codes about flowers and also a considerable amount of money; hidden away from the allowances that Mycroft had been providing.
In London, Enola discovers more clues about her mother's disappearance and begins a communication using code, through the newspapers. She also discovers an interest in solving mysteries, especially disappearances. This is the crux of the three individual stories. They involve Enola helping to find three people who have disappeared (kidnapped?), with the last being the disappearance of one Doctor Watson, partner in crime to Sherlock. Her paths cross regularly with those of her brother Sherlock and Enola must try to avoid discovery, all the while working to solve the mysteries.
It's an entertaining collection of stories and the artwork and coloring is bright, colorful and easy on the eye, portraying Victorian England excellently. Enola is a brave, intelligent character and most enjoyable to follow. The cases are all interesting and each story ends with notes from Enola's casebook; the codes used, the disguises worn, all fascinating. I think I'll be looking for the next collection of graphic novels. (4.0 stars)"
"Back in the early '80s I discovered the Saga of the Well World series by American Sci-Fi author Jack L. Chalker. Between 1977 and 1980, he published the 5 books that made up this fascinating series. The Well World (or Hex World) was created by some species and it consisted of hundreds of smaller hex worlds where species grew and developed. They were then out to the galaxies to populate worlds. The Well World retained the core of each of these varied species. If you went through a hex gate you would be transformed into a specific species and live in that hex. Hexes could interact, some were hi-tech, some medium, some low - tech. The five books basically told the story of a certain Nathan Brazil and companions who had adventures on the hex World. It was all very interesting.
A few years back, I discovered a related series, a trilogy about The Watchers of the Well of Souls. I can't tell you much more about it, except it dealt with a new threat to the Well World and how Nathan Brazil once again saved it.
So, onto the latest. Two more books were published to complete the Well World series, The Sea is Full of Stars in 1999 and this one, Ghost of the Well of Souls in 2000. I recently finished the first late 2022 and enjoyed it. A group of people are once again sent through a hex gate and this time end up in the watery Southern hemisphere. One, Josich, a mad world killer, wants to find the parts of a Straight Gate, one that can link between the Well World and the outer universe, so he can conquer both. The others in the group, a computer named Core, a master criminal, Jules Wallinchky, Ming and Ari (whose two minds have been placed in one body), Jaysu, a priestess who is transformed into an Angel, Genghis O'Leary, a space cop after Jules Wallinchky and Kincaid, a man on a mission of vengeance to kill Josich, as Josich destroyed his home planet and his wife and children.
So there you go. We've got disparate groups trying to find the pieces of the Straight Gate before Josich can. Otherwise if he (now a she) gets them, he will maybe destroy the Hex World and also try to take over the universe. Yup, he's (she's) a megalomaniac. The journeys of the various people through the hexes is, as always, very interesting, somewhat confusing, but always entertaining. The interactions with friends and enemies makes the story more interesting, of course. And the urge to see how it all resolves keeps you turning page after page. The ultimate ending was slightly pat, but acceptable. Chalker has created a fascinating, unique world and his view of what's out there is so interesting. Check out the series. I hope it hooks you. (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Ever since his girlfriend left town to deal with her newly acquired taste for blood, Harry Dresden has been down and out in Chicago. He can’t pay his rent. He’s alienating his friends. He can’t even recall the last time he took a shower.
The only professional wizard in the phone book has become a desperate man.
And just when it seems things can’t get any worse, in saunters the Winter Queen of Faerie. She has an offer Harry can’t refuse if he wants to free himself of the supernatural hold his faerie godmother has over him — and hopefully end his run of bad luck. All he has to do is find out who murdered the Summer Queen’s right-hand man, the Summer Knight, and clear the Winter Queen’s name.
It seems simple enough, but Harry knows better than to get caught in the middle of faerie politics. Until he finds out that the fate of the entire world rests on his solving this case.
No pressure or anything…"
They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.
Becky Chambers's new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?
They're going to need to ask it a lot."
No comments:
Post a Comment