An End January Reading Round - Up.... Yee Haw!

Let's round 'em up little buddy

It's almost the end of January already so let's look at what I've managed to read so far and well, yada yada, the normal stuff. Oh, it looks like we might get our first snow fall of the winter in the next few days. We'll see how that goes. 

So, January 2025. Thus far, I've completed 10 books, with the likelihood of completing one more. I've completed 4 since The Infinity Particle. As per usual, I'll provide my reviews, the synopses of the next books in line and also the synopses for any new books that might have dropped onto my doorstep. Continuing with my round up theme, move along little dogies!

Just Completed

1. Something is Killing the Children, Volume 3 by James Tynion IV (#3 / 2021).

"Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 3 by James Tynion IV is the 3rd volume of the adventures of monster hunter / killer Erica Slaughter and contains chapters 11 - 15 of the series. It also wraps up the events that take place in Archer's Peak Wisconsin.

Erica and her friends from Archer's Peak continue to try and destroy the monsters that are hunting down the children of the town. The mother has been killed in previous volumes but the children are growing and getting hungry. While the remains of the town are barricaded in the school gym, Erica and James head out to try and goad the creatures into following them so that they can be destroyed.

Meanwhile, Erica's bosses in Chicago, the Order of St George, are sending down a kill team to control the situation. But who are they there to kill? They don't want the evidence of the monsters and the events that took place in the town leaking out to the national press. They shut down the cell phone net, close of the town and move to the gym.

How it all resolves is well written and also well-drawn and colored. The splashes of black and red add to the effect of the events. It's a dark, spooky, terrifying story and holds your attention completely. I now have Volumes 4 & 5 on order and look forward to seeing what new adventures Erica will be involved with. (3.5 stars)"

2. Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher (2024).

"I've always enjoyed listening to Kara Swisher when I've seen her on news programs and talk shows. Her knowledge of the tech industry & the people within it is wide and all - encompassing and she has demonstrated the ability to make the conversation both interesting and accessible. So when my wife bought me Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, her latest novel, for Xmas, I had to make it one of my first reads of 2025.

It didn't disappoint. The book follows Swisher's life as a tech journalist in all of its iterations from the beginning of her employment with the Washington Post to her further ventures. It also provides an excellent overview of the development of the tech industry, with great insights into the early players and creators and follows through until her latest ventures in the 2020's.

I've heard of most of the people with whom she has had discussions, in depth interviews but it was fascinating to find out more about them, to find out more about Kara Swisher. The thrill of the first people to get involved in this wired industry and how they have changed personally and how the industry has and will continue to change the world. There are the good guys and the bad guys. She seems to have a special fondness for Apple creator Steve Jobs, for all of his eccentricities and it was neat to find out more about him. There are many others of course.

It was interesting (and distressing?) to see how this success has changed many of them from visionaries to whiny, defensive billionaires (my words). It's a fascinating look at this world. It brought back many memories for me as I began to delve into the world, not in any technical way, but rather, starting with my first computer, then exploring this wonderful thing called the internet with all of its promise and capability. Which way will it go in the future; a place of anger and hate speech or a place that might help find cures for disease and ways to help people better their lives? Kara remains positive, but worried. Check the book out, it's fascinating. (4.0 stars)"

3. Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice (Moon #2 / 2023).

"Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice is the second and final book in the Moon series. It continues the story of Evan Whitesky and his Anishinaabe community in northern Ontario as they try to survive the permanent blackout that basically turned the world into an anarchic society (if anyone else even survived).

We find Evan and his wife Nicole and his community living in the bush in their community many years after the events that toppled the world. His daughter Nangohns is now a young woman and an accomplished tracker and hunter, expert with a bow and arrow. The community is now discovering that they have lived in this one place too long and that wild life is now becoming more cautious and scarce and they are using up the other natural resources. Evan and the other tribal leaders determine that they must send an expedition south to the shores of Lake Huron, where the tribe had its origins.

It seems that another group had headed that way a few years previously and not returned so the six that take off on this journey do so with some trepidation. What will they discover outside the environs of their relatively safe, but isolated community. The group consists of Evan, his oldest friend Tyler, Nangohns and three others. They plan to head down to the town of Gibsons and then continue on to the lake. They hope to be able to make it there and back before the onset of the next winter.

This journey is the crux of the story. We get inklings about what happened all those years ago to cause the blackout but it's not really all that important to this story other than to set a backdrop. But the people they meet on their journey will be both helpful and dangerous. It's a fascinating, tense, at times, thrilling journey. The six main characters are well defined and draw you in. Evan is a stoic hero, Nangohns a wonderful woman and the rest all add their own personalities to this fascinating story. Of course, there will be tragedy but all in all the story is an excellent end to the first story and a hopeful look at what might happen for the survivors. (4.5 stars)"

4. The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer (2024).

"I picked this book, The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer, off my shelf partly because it was short and I thought I might be able to finish it by end month, mainly to pad the number of books I'd read to start the year. Sigh... Yes, I'm sometimes that predictable. Having said that I bought it because the plot sounded neat and lo and behold, it was!

The Downloaded is my first attempt at the Sci Fi of Canadian author Sawyer. The concept was neat, the story was fascinating and I couldn't put it down. I now need to get more of his work.

So, onto the book itself. In 2059, a group of 25 astronauts have their minds uploaded to a quantum computer in Waterloo, Ontario.... Canada. Their bodies are put into cryogenic storage. The plan is that their bodies will be transported to a space ship, already orbiting Earth and they will head off to a distant planet, Proxima Centauri, and eventually, their minds will be downloaded into the bodies, they will be awakened and they will then begin to colonize said planet.

Around the same time, an experiment in prison confinement is also being tried. 60 convicts have been offered the chance to reduce their life sentences. Their minds will be uploaded into the self same quantum computer to complete their sentences while their bodies... yes, you've got it, their bodies will be cryogenically frozen until their sentences are complete.

Now there is a difference between the two and I'm not sure I totally understand it, but here it goes. The astronauts time will be slowed down so that even though their trip will last a few hundred years, for their bodies and minds it will seem like months. The prisoners will have their time speeded up so that while they will only be frozen for a couple of months, their minds will experience what feels like a life sentence... I think that's it basically. While the two groups are in this suspended animation, they will be permitted to experience people, activities, locations to keep them occupied.

it seems like something has gone drastically wrong! Captain Letitia Garvey, captain of the crew of astronauts is awakened and realizes something is wrong. She still seems to be on Earth? So, she goes about awakening the remainder of the crew... (something has happened to one of them) and at the same time discovers the facts about the prisoners... who were not awakened early as planned but kept in suspended animation. Why? Now you have to read the rest, but is it interest piquing? I hope so.

The story is fascinating and the manner of its telling is also excellent. It's told in the form of interviews with various characters. For the most part, it's told by Captain Garvey, Doctor Jurgen Haas, the ship's doctor and also Roscoe Koudoulian, a prisoner sent to prison for murder. We do get interviews with various others as well, these 3 remain the focus. The story, through these interviews, elaborates on the events that led to the programs, what might have happened in the future and how these two diverse groups try to get along and find a solution to an approaching problem. (I'm not saying). Oh and don't forget the robots and the Mennonites, yup, Mennonites. 

Now you ask... who is conducting the interviews. 😎😁 I'll never say, but it's another neat little twist. All in all, a fascinating bit of Sci Fi, an excellent way of telling a story and a satisfying ending as well. Beautiful into to Robert J. Sawyer for me. Check him out. (5.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

I highlighted some of the books that would be upcoming in my previous post. I've started two of them and will be starting this one now that I've completed The Downloaded.

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

"In a beautifully crafted and captivating graphic novel from award-winning writer Sherri L. Smith and Eisner-nominated artist Christine Norrie, a Japanese-American girl must survive years of uncertainty and questions of loyalty in Hiroshima during World War II. Amy is a thirteen-year-old Japanese-American girl who lives in Hawaii. When her great-grandmother falls ill, Amy travels to visit family in Hiroshima for the first time. But this is 1941. When the Japanese navy attacks Pearl Harbor, it becomes impossible for Amy to return to Hawaii. Conscripted into translating English radio transmissions for the Japanese army, Amy struggles with questions of loyalty and fears about her family amidst rumors of internment camps in America -- even as she makes a new best friend and, over the years, Japan starts to feel something like home. Torn between two countries at war, Amy must figure out where her loyalties lie and, in the face of unthinkable tragedy, find hope in the rubble of a changed world."

New Books

1. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2007). This past year I read Satrapi's Woman, Life, Freedom and wanted to continue to explore her work.

"Here, in one Marjane Satrapi's best-selling, internationally acclaimed memoir-in-comic-strips. Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up."

So there you go, folks. Some reading ideas for you. I'll continue with my look at Women Authors Whose Work I've been enjoying in my next post. Now it's time to see about lunch. Have a great day!

A Saturday Reading Update

Our visitors

Yesterday, Clyde and I went out for our noontime walk and as we were walking up our street two American bald eagles flew past us and lighted on one of the trees in our back yard. Needless to say, I kept Clyde close at hand as we walked up our driveway and home. Beautiful birds.

I got one new book (graphic novel) yesterday and will provide the synopses for it. I plan to read it before the end of the month as it's short and always exciting. I haven't completed anymore books since my last update but will provide synopses of 4 books that I plan to read in the near future. I'll also continue with my look at women authors whose work I've been enjoying.

New Book

1. Something is Killing the Children, Vol. Three by James Tynion IV (2021).

"As the House of Slaughter arrives to clean up the situation by any means necessary, Erica will find that the true threat to those around her isn’t who - or what - she ever expected. And the cost of saving the day may be too high for anyone to pay...

NOT ALL MONSTERS HIDE IN THE DARK.

Archer’s Peak is in lockdown, as Erica Slaughter has lost control of the situation and news of the killings has spread outside the town. But as the House of Slaughter arrives to clean up the situation by any means necessary, Erica will find that the true threat to those around her isn’t who - or what - she ever expected. And the cost of saving the day may be too high for anyone to pay..."

Upcoming Reads

1. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole #7 / 2007).

"SOON THE FIRST SNOW WILL COME.

A young boy wakes to find his mother missing. Their house is empty but outside in the garden he sees his mother's favourite scarf - wrapped around the neck of a snowman.

AND THEN HE WILL APPEAR AGAIN.

As Harry Hole and his team begin their investigation they discover that an alarming number of wives and mothers have gone missing over the years.

AND WHEN THE SNOW IS GONE...

When a second woman disappears it seems that Harry's worst suspicions are confirmed: for the first time in his career Harry finds himself confronted with a serial killer operating on his home turf.

...HE WILL HAVE TAKEN SOMEONE ELSE."

2. Crime Machine by Giles Blunt (John Cardinal #5 / 2010). This is the last book in this series that I've to read.

"A year after the death of his beloved and troubled wife, Catherine, John Cardinal has moved into a new, but very humid, condo. He has fallen into an easy routine of work on cold case files and platonic movie nights with friend and colleague Lise Delorme. The quiet of a snow-covered Algonquin Bay is shattered when the decapitated bodies of two people are found in a summer home on Trout Lake. The victims, visitors from Russia, are in Algonquin Bay attending the annual fur auction. This is by no means a routine murder investigation as Cardinal soon discovers, but a horrific piece of a very twisted puzzle. Blunt has, once again, given us a page-turning plot, a remarkable cast of characters and the comfort of John Cardinal at the helm."

3. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Todd Family #1 / 2013).

"On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can — will she?"

And now for a new author for me....

4. The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer (2024).

"In 2059 two very different groups have their minds uploaded into a quantum computer in Waterloo, Ontario. One group consists of astronauts preparing for Earth's first interstellar voyage. The other? Convicted murderers, serving their sentences in a virtual-reality prison. But when disaster strikes, the astronauts and the prisoners must download back into physical reality and find a way to work together to save Earth from destruction."

Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Ai Jiang

Ai Jiang

Ai Jiang is a Canadian author whose work I discovered last year. She writes 'horror' or as described in Wikipedia, speculative fiction. And also poetry, although I haven't tried any of that yet. She was born China in 1997 and moved to Canada 4 years later. She attended my alma mater University of Toronto where she got her BA (so did I. 😊) She has published 3 books so far and also had a short story published in a compendium). Thus far I've enjoyed one book and the compendium and have one more on my book shelf. Let's take a look, shall we?

1. Linghun (2023).

"Linghun is a novella, along with a couple of short stories and one essay, by Canadian author, Ai Jiang. I was pleasantly surprised by it, such great writing.

In Linghun, Wenki and her mother and father move to the town of Home. Normally when a home is vacant in this town (or more just a street I guess), there is an auction so the Lingerers (more on them later, if I remember) can try to buy one. In Wenki's case, they bought the house from cousins who moved out.

So the reason people move to Home is to try to make contact with the spirits of dead family members. In Wenki's case, it is her older brother who died when Wenki was just a youngster. Wenki's mother is desperate to find Tianqi and basically ignores Wenki and her sympathetic husband. Wenki must try to live a normalish life by going to school, which basically lives in the past and the last class of the day is a round table where the children tell of the success or lack thereof in seeing their dead kin.

The story is told between three characters, Wenki of course. There is Liam, a fellow student, a Lingerer. So, Lingerers are families who move to Home but can't afford a home and basically live in the yards of those who have homes, hoping to acquire a home through the auction. (Think of The Lottery, but darker, when you think of the auction process) The third character is Mrs., an older mysterious woman who lives across the street from Wenki.

It's a strange story as these varied people try to find ways to see their dead kin, some successfully, some not. Wenki and Liam basically want to leave, try to get back to a normal existence. Will they be able to? The discussion of death, coping / or not, living for the present or the past and making it such a fascinating story, a page turner, impressed me deeply. Ai Jiang elaborates on her thoughts on this matter in a follow-on essay and then also provides two short stories; Yongshi and Teeter - Totter just for additional enjoyment. Beautiful writing, dark setting, super story / stories. (4.5 stars)"

2. Smol Tales from Between Worlds (2023).

"This edition of TFBPresents features a varied collection of short fiction from rising star, Ai Jiang.

Hopping from fantasy, to horror, to literary pieces and more, Smol Tales From Between Worlds announces a major talent that is just getting started.
"Jiang is widely considered to be one of the most exciting young voices in science fiction, fantasy, and horror."
– Dark Matter Magazine

TFBPresents focuses on the fiction of a single author per edition, complete with author notes on each story and a wide-ranging interview, it's a must-have publication for fans of genre fiction."

3. Odd Jobs: Six Files from the Department of Inhuman Resources (2024). A collection of short stories, edited by TJ Price, with one story by Ai Jiang.

"(Full Disclosure - One of the authors asked if I would be interested in reading this new book and I said yes because it sounded interesting.)

Odd Jobs: Six Files from the Department of Inhuman Resources is a collection of short stories by six horror authors. The book is edited by T.J.  Price and they purport to be a series of files that have been released by an employee of the Dept. of Inhuman Resources, a dangerous undertaking that might result in his death... or maybe firing. 

The six stories highlight odd jobs, some for the Company, presenting either a dystopic world or strange happenings.

1. Lips Sealed, Steeped in Oil, Pores Opening like Mouths by Ai Jiang

2. Rags to Riches by Ivy Grimes

3. These Little Tyrants by Erik McHatton

4. In the Lights of their Bones by Carson Winter

5. Investigation into a Disappearance by Christi Nogle

6. Future Portraits of the Unhappy Dead by Caleb Stephens

The stories themselves aren't horrifying, rather more creepy and unsettling, each author presenting their story in their own unique style. The only writer of the group who I've tried previously is Ai Jiang, the author of Linghun.

In Lips sealed, a young lady begins working for the company. She wants to be an environmentalist but decides to work for this 'oil' company first. It's a limited term and it will give her the money to switch to environmentalist issues, so she believes. But the experience will leave her incapable of living in the 'real' world. This oil world seeps into the real world, destroying forests, animals, people. But it also sinks into her very skin, her very pores, her soul. 

(Oh yes, at the beginning of each story, a personal or performance report or mental evaluation is provided on the main character. It's a neat touch)

In Rags to Riches, Penny works in the Bookstore, a strange sort of place. She is filled with ambition and wants to rise to the executive level. Each level strikes her as odd and she wants to change things. The Owner is watching her and moves her along quickly. But it's not what Penny expects. (Although quite different, it did make me think of a graphic I'd read about the Albertan oil sands, Ducks0

In These Little Tyrants, the main character is being abused by her boss Michelle, being made to perform the most mundane of tasks. She complains to Bill, a potential boyfriend, who disappears suddenly. However she finds herself being promoted, but not to where she expects. She is moved to production, cleaning pink slime from vats in the basement and sees many strange things... (I'm somewhat reminded of Soylent Green... somewhat).

In the Light of their Bones - A young man begins a new jobs, after a 'pandemic' of sorts. It's not completely explained but it seems a 'light' has done something to the insides of people. Finally allowed outdoors, he joins a clean-up crew. Released from the safe zone each day, they move to empty apartment buildings, homes, cleaning out any bodies, the furniture, sanitizing the homes. But something happens to the young fella.....

In Investigation into a Disappearance, an English professor is interrogated by a.... police officer? about the disappearance of one of her students or a girl she mentored. Only briefly mentioned, the various departments; Fine Arts, History seem to be empty, falling into disrepair. When the investigator doesn't show up one day, the Professor tries to find Debi, this budding author she tried, unsuccessfully to mentor. We now move to Debi's house... (now this had me thinking of House of Leaves, or Doctor Who).. The house is not what it seems from the outside. What had Debi done? (Oh one of the Classic Twilight Zones is about a young boy who has very strong mental powers....)

Finally, there is Future Portraits of the Unhappy Dead where we meet Ronald Hart who works for a telephone / computer repair shop in a small town in Texas. Ronald begins seeing things in the phones / laptops where people are being abused or killed and after not doing anything the first time, he decides he has to stop the perpetrators. He also loves the girl in charge of the shop, but she only has eyes for another fella. (Think the Dead Zone with this one).

Every story is interesting and different. They leave you feeling unsettled at the very least. The endings are always open to your interpretation. A neat concept and an entertaining collection. I think it's worth checking out the individual authors works. (4.0 stars)" 

You can find out more about Ai Jiang on her own web page or also check out Wikipedia.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

A Midweek Reading Update and Women Authors Continued

Technically it's a day after midweek but what the hey. I finished a nice little graphic novel yesterday so I'll provide my review of it and also continue with my look at women authors whose work I've been enjoying; this author also writes graphic novels. 

Just Finished

1. The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu (2023). This was a surprising graphic novel; excellent look at AI and also with a touching relationship. Wendy Xu is a new author for me. I've since ordered another of her graphic novels.

"The Infinity Particle, a Sci-Fi graphic novel by Wendy  Xu is my first exposure to her work. It's an excellent story about love and AI. Clementine, an aspiring scientist moves from Earth to Mars with her little AI, SENA, a cute little butterfly-like creature. She is moving away from Earth to get away from what has become an untenable situation with her mother (more about this comes out during the course of the story). 

She has a job with one of the great AI scientists, Marcella Lin. She will be working in a shop with Nadiya, a shop that repairs AIs. Clementine finally meets the 'wonderful' Marcella and also her humanoid AI, Kye. A relationship will develop between them over the rest of the story. There is a bug within Kye that comes about whenever he is with Clementine. SENA helps get into Kye's workings to find out the problem. Part of the problem is Marcella who abuses the poor AI which brings back awful memories of Clementine's life on Earth.

The two friends and SENA make a journey across Mars to meet Marcella's mentor, Dr. Han, who helps correct Kye's glitches and also deal with the disturbed Marcella.

It's a wonderful story. The artwork is lovely, the AI's are so cute. There are stories within stories; the AI development, the burgeoning friendship / relationship between Clementine and Kye. It's just such an entertaining, rich story that draws you in immediately and keeps you attention from beginning to end. Super characters, great artwork and a wonderful story. (4.0 stars)"

Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Victoria Jamieson

Victoria Jamieson

Victoria Jamieson is an American novelist and illustrator of  Young Adult graphic novels. She grew up in Havertown, Pennsylvania and still lives in the state with her family. I discovered her work first with When Stars Are Scattered. I've since enjoyed two others of her excellent stories; great stories, great artwork. 

1. When Stars are Scattered (2020, written with Omar Mohamed).

"I was checking out the latest arrivals in one of my favorite local book stores, Books 4 Brains, and as usual picked up a few. When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohamed; Victoria Jamieson was one of the books I picked up. I had to try it right away and once started could not put down this wonderful graphic novel. It tells the true story of the childhoods of Omar and his brother, Hassan, as they grow up in a refugee camp, Dadaab, in Kenya.

Omar and Hassan are parentless. They came from war-torn Somalia along with thousands of other refugees. Omar saw his father shot to death by 'soldiers' and lost contact with his mother. When they arrive in the camp, they are put together and taken under the wing of Fatumah who becomes their de facto guardian / mother.

The story tells of their growing up in this refugee camp. It's a difficult, boring life. Omar looks after his younger brother. Hassan cannot vocalize, uses only one expression, Hooyo, which, we discover much later, does mean something. Hassan also suffers from seizures and the refugee camp doctors can't discover the cause or know how to treat them. 

Eventually, Omar start going to school with his best friend Jeri. He is persuaded that it's the best way he can get help for his brother. An education might put him on the List of those refugees selected to be moved to a host country, the US, Canada, etc. At school, Omar also becomes friends with two young girls, Nimo and Maryam. Both want an education so they don't have to marry. All of the children have great ambitions to be teachers, lawyers, social workers.

But as Omar says, 'refugee camps are supposed to be a temporary place to stay until it's safe to go back home. I guess no one expected the war to last so long, though, because Hassan and I have been here for 7 years'. Life is often a boring wait, lining up for water, lining up for food. As each month ends, their monthly ration begins to dry up and the children go hungry until the next food ration is provided. 

It's hard for all the children but for the girls even more so. Some are allowed to go to school, but at lunch time must rush home to do their chores to help feed, wash, etc their siblings and care for their parents. Maryam, who desperately wants to go to Canada to go to college is married off to help provide her family with enough money to continue to support the other children. But even with that heartbreak, she helps Omar with his brother so he can continue with his education.

It's a heartbreaking story but wonderfully told and even in this heartbreak there is hope, joy, positivity. The boys continue to hope that their mother will eventually come to the camp. Omar and Hassan are finally selected to go to the US where Omar has become an advocate for refugees and now helps those who STILL live in Camp Dadaab. The story definitely opens your eyes to the plight of the countless refugees around the world. Beautifully drawn by Victoria Jamieson, beautifully told by Omar Mohamed and brightly colored by Iman Geddy. (4.5 stars)"

2. Roller Girl (2015).

"I had recently read Victoria Jamieson's When Stars Are Scattered and thought it was excellent. Deciding to explore some of her other work, I purchased Roller Girl, published in 2015 and a Newberry Honor winner in 2016. It was most enjoyable.

The graphic novel follows Astrid, a twelve-year old girl who is finding that her life is changing. Her childhood friend Nicole doesn't want to join roller derby camp with her, instead is more interested in signing up for a dance camp and goes with Astrid's 'enemy' Rachel!!! This begins a difficult summer for Astrid.

Astrid lies to her mother about Nicole not attending roller derby camp. She is supposed to be car-pooling with Nicole but instead roller skates between the camp and her home. Astrid is suddenly finding that roller skating / derby isn't quite as easy as she assumed it would be; Astrid had visions of herself being the new star of the local Portland ladies' team, the Rose City Rollers. There is friction at home, due to Astrid's lie and feelings of guilt. There is friction with Nicole and Rachel whenever they meet. There is ongoing frustration about her inability to succeed at camp. 

The one good thing is that Astrid has begun a secretish correspondence with the Rose City star, Rainbow Bite, who offers her encouragement. As the summer winds down, the camp leaders let the girls know that during the last home game of the season, the camp will do a demonstration of the sport at half time. Astrid is disappointed to discover she won't be selected as a jammer (roller derby jargon for the one who gets the points). Her new friendship with another derby camp girl, Zoey is damaged because Zoey is picked as a jammer and Astrid can't hide her jealousy and disappointment.

Everything will come to a head of course but you have to read this excellent story to see how it ends up. It's wonderfully told by Victoria Jamieson and beautifully drawn and brightly inked. A great story for middle graders and, of course, adults. Most enjoyable. I think I might have to check out All's Faire in Middle School next. (4.0 stars)"

3. All's Faire in Middle School (2017).

"The author of Roller Girl is back with a graphic novel about starting middle school, surviving your embarrassing family, and the Renaissance Faire.

Eleven-year-old Imogene (Impy) has grown up with two parents working at the Renaissance Faire, and she's eager to begin her own training as a squire. First, though, she'll need to prove her bravery. Luckily Impy has just the quest in mind--she'll go to public school after a life of being homeschooled! But it's not easy to act like a noble knight-in-training in middle school. Impy falls in with a group of girls who seem really nice (until they don't) and starts to be embarrassed of her thrift shop apparel, her family's unusual lifestyle, and their small, messy apartment. Impy has always thought of herself as a heroic knight, but when she does something really mean in order to fit in, she begins to wonder whether she might be more of a dragon after all."

If you want to find out more about Victoria Jamieson's work, check out her personal website. I hope she continues with her excellent story telling. #VictoriaJamieson Enjoy the rest of your week and your upcoming weekend.

Some New Books & Women Authors

Another Wednesday is upon us with January fast approaching the end. How fast the days go by! So let's see. since my last update three books have arrived. I'll provide synopses for them and also continue with my look at women authors whose work I've been enjoying. I'll also review the one book I completed and also provide the synopses of the next in line, plus another I started this morning. So, let's go!

Just Finished

1. Deadly Beloved by Jane Haddam (Gregor Demarkian #15 / 1997). This is part of my dusty book challenge I've had this on my shelves for too long.

"It's been a few years since I delved into the world of former FBI profiler Gregor Demarkian. I'm glad to refresh my memories of this entertaining mystery series. Deadly Beloved is the 15th book in the series by Jane Haddam. There is much excitement on Cavanaugh Street in Philadelphia as the community prepares for the impending nuptials of Donna Moradanyan and Russel Donahue, ex Philadelphia cop and now a lawyer. Gregor Demarkian is in a troubled mood as the whole thing is bringing back memories of his wedding to his now deceased wife Elizabeth. He needs a distraction... and he gets one.

Patsy McLaren Willis is making plans. Her husband Kevin has announced that he will no longer be traveling for his work and will instead be working in an office in Philadelphia. Patsy loads up her car with all of her belongings, shoots Kevin with a silenced revolver while he sleeps and then heads off, departing her gated community of Fox Run in the early hours. She parks in a parking garage downtown, leaves her car, goes to the bank and withdraws $15,000, then disappears. Shortly after that there is an explosion in the parking garage, destroying her car and everything else. Police Police Lt John Jackman calls in Gregor to consult on the murder and explosion.

And now begins a fascinating story, filled with excellent characters and more explosions and other action that will tax Gregor's ingenuity and skill as an investigator. All the while, he is also helping his friends Bennis and Tibor deal with the wedding crisis. Peter, Donna's ex boyfriend and purported father to her child has decided to make waves and is indicating he will show up to disrupt the wedding.

It's just a great, intricate, fun story for a murder mystery. The characters are so well defined and all play a role in the story. The residents of Fox Run all have a story to tell. The school mates of Patsy McLaren Willis all want to figure out the case and all want to talk to the famous Gregor Demarkian, the Armenian - American Hercule Poirot as the press describes him.

The story jumps from character to character, from the murder mystery to the wedding preparations. So many wonderful characters and such an entertaining mystery with a satisfying conclusion. Most enjoyable to enter this world again. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The Chinese Alchemist by Lyn Hamilton (Lara McClintoch #11 / 2007). Another book in my dusty book challenge. Yes, I've had for awhile.

"Antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is targeted by ruthless criminals while tying to recover an eighth-century Tang Dynasty silver box-with an alchemical formula for the elixir of immortality etched on the inside of the lid. The rare item holds the key not only to the mysterious death of a museum curator, but to Lara's own survival."

2. The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu (2023).

"In this gorgeous graphic novel by Wendy Xu, co-creator of the award-winning Mooncakes, a young inventor falls for a lifelike AI and confronts questions of freedom and autonomy. Clementine Chang moves from Earth to Mars for a new start and is lucky enough to land her dream job with Dr. Marcella Lin, an Artificial Intelligence pioneer. On her first day of work, Clem meets Dr. Lin’s assistant, a humanoid AI named Kye. Clem is no stranger to robots—she built herself a cute moth-shaped companion named SENA. Still, there’s something about Kye that feels almost too human. When Clem and Kye begin to collaborate, their chemistry sets off sparks. The only downside? Dr. Lin is enraged by Kye’s growing independence and won’t allow him more freedom. Plus, their relationship throws into question everything Clem thought she knew about AI. After all, if Kye is sentient enough to have feelings, shouldn’t he be able to control his own actions? Where is the line between AI and human? As her past and Kye’s future weigh down on her, Clem becomes determined to help him break free—even if it means risking everything she came to Mars for."

New Books

1. No Good from a Corpse by Leigh Brackett (1943). I've enjoyed Brackett's mysteries and her Sci-Fi. This is one of her first. I focused on her work in a previous Blog.

"Laurel Dane was no angel. She'd changed men as often as she'd changed her hair color, and there was plenty in her past she'd like to forget. But no one deserved to be beaten to death, and private eye Ed Clive didn't believe that her boyfriend had killed her. Pursuing her own lonely trail, he found out just how easily jealousy and twisted rage could turn a human being into a monster of violence."

2. Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson #2 / 2007). A newish series for me. I have read a graphic novel featuring Mercy.

"Under the rule of science, there are no witch burnings allowed, no water trials or public lynchings. In return, the average law-abiding, solid citizen has little to worry about from the things that go bump in the night. Sometimes I wish I was an average citizen...

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind.

But this new vampire is hardly ordinary-and neither is the demon inside of him."

3. Bloodcircle by P.N. Elrod (Vampire Files #3 / 1990). I've been reading this series out of order but have lately began to get the earlier books. It's such a nice mix of vampire horror and pulp mystery.

"WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, MY DAY BEGINS...
As a vampire, I have a number of handy skills - I can hypnotize mortals, walk through walls, and shrug off bullets like insults. The one thing I haven't been able to manage, so far, is to find the woman who made me what I am.

Until now. Maybe.

her trail has led me to the palatial estate of a wealthy widow - and a two-hundred-year-old gigolo with a taste for young blood. He claims not to know where my long-lost lady is - or who is trying to kill me - but then again, you can never trust a vampire.

I should know."

Women Authors Whose Work I've Been Enjoying - Doris Miles Disney

Doris Miles Disney

Doris Miles Disney was an American mystery author of 47 novels. She was born in 1907 in Glastonbury Conn and died in 1976 in Fredericksburg, Va. She did write a number of series books, featuring 3 different characters but I've only read her standalones. Thus far I've read only 1 of her books but I enjoyed it very much and have since added another to my book shelf. I do look forward to trying much more of her work.

1. No Next of Kin (1959).

"No Next of Kin is my first look at the work of American mystery writer Doris Miles Disney and I was pleasantly surprised by it; a most enjoyable, quickly paced mystery. Over the course of her life, 1907 - 1976, she wrote 47 novels, some in series format, others standalone. No Next of Kin is one of her standalones

Andrea Langdon has a deep dark secret. As a young girl, almost 18, she became pregnant at a party, was abandoned and with the aid of a loving teacher, boarded her child with strangers. When Greg was five, she takes him back with the hope of showing Greg to her father and having the youngster become a member of her family. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes at a county fair, when a fire starts and rages. Andrea, injured herself, doesn't identify the body of the little boy as hers and must carry the secret for the rest of her life.

Now begins a tale of blackmail and threats as the father, Seymour Boyd, turns up. Andrea comes from a rich family and her father is running for a seat as a Connecticut Rep. Boyd digs up the dirt, with the help of Walt Horbal (husband of the family who boarded Greg as a child), demands money from Andrea. Reporter Fergus MacDonald, attracted to Andrea, suspects something and begins his own investigation.

It's a fascinating, quick-paced, well-written story. Lots of tension, a bit of action and violence, definitely a page turner. Fergus MacDonald is an excellent character. Andrea, a suitable victim, with sufficient strength and intelligence to appeal to Fergus. The villains are well-presented and interesting. I don't know that it's an original idea, but it's crafted in a satisfactory fashion and draws you in, making you want to see how it will resolve. And the ending is suitably satisfactory. All in all, an excellent mystery and story. Checking out more of Disney's work now. (4.0 stars)"

2. Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate (1970).

"After filling out a computer dating service card with a fictional name, Sophie's clowning days were about to come to an abrupt end. For one of her suitors was very, very serious. And he would make sure that this was Sophie's last laugh..."

A complete listing of Disney's works can be found at this link.

Mid - January and Here's a Reading Update

Since my last update a couple of days ago, I've completed one more book, making it 4 for 2025 so far. I'm about to finish Deadly Beloved by Jane Haddam, a Gregor Demarkian mystery and continue to make reasonable progress on my other books. I'll provide my review of the book finished and the normal other updates and continue with my look at Women Authors that I've been enjoying. Oh, and the Brighton Seagulls are playing today. GO SEAGULLS!

Just Finished

1. A Deadly Domain by Val McDermid (Karen Pirie #2)

"A Darker Domain by Val McDermid is the second book in her DI Karen Pirie mystery series. I decided to start 2025 off with it because my wife and I had just watched the mini-series based on the 1st book and I wanted to read this in case #2 comes out in 2025. It's listed on IMDB but no date is set yet.

So, now to the story. Karen is now a DI in charge of the cold case squad in Fife Scotland. This is as a result of the success of her first case in book 1, which I won't get into in case you've not yet read. She is thrown into two separate cold cases in this story, both intertwined, the story moving from the present to the past as she and her squad conduct their investigation. Also involved is a reporter, Bel Richmond who has provided new evidence for one of the cases, in the hope of getting a story from a reclusive Scottish millionaire who lives in Fife.

Misha Prentice approaches Karen with the story of her missing father, coal miner Mick Prentice, who disappeared twenty years before. She is hoping to get a case file opened because she feels that Mick is the only hope of providing genetic material for her sick child, who is dying from cancer. Even though her boss, nicknamed the Macaroon, is against wasting resources on a cold case where the missing person is probably dead, Karen takes the case on anyway.

Meanwhile, Bel Richmond, the intrepid reporter is vacationing in Tuscany with her pals on their annual vacation when she comes evidence of a kidnapping that occurred around the same time in Fife; the kidnapping of millionaire Brodie Grant's grand son. She brings the evidence to Grant in the hope of being able to write the story (or book) about Grant and this event. He agrees but also demands that Karen Pirie be brought into the case, largely due to her work in the first book. (Oddly enough, once he does this he basically shuts her out of any information that Bel Richmond is able to dig up)

So these are the two cases. Karen and her DS Phil Parhatka begin to work both cases, mainly focusing on the missing miner.. But as we get into the story it seems that there may be ties between the two... maybe, maybe not. It's an intricately laid out story. Every time Karen or Bel interrogate a witness, the story jumps into the past events, which makes it all the richer. We get a great look at the miner's strikes and how they affected the communities. Was Mick a scab who betrayed his union friends to go to the mines in Nottingham? 

McDermid is an accomplished story teller, easily moving between the past and present, and jumping between characters and locations... the story does move to Italy regularly. The characters are all well-drawn and interesting. Karen Pirie is especially interesting, a smart, capable investigator, inventive with her investigations. I liked her very much. Her relationship with her DS is excellent; they bounce ideas off each other, work well together. All in all it's an excellent story, holds your attention, keeps you guessing about how each case will be resolved (if they will) and if and how the two cases might be related. (4.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Calling Out For You by Karin Fossum (Konrad Sejer #5).

"Gunder Jomann thinks his life has been made complete when he returns from a trip to India a married man. But on the day his bride arrives in Norway she vanishes. Then the town is shocked by the news of an Indian woman found bludgeoned to death in a nearby meadow.

Inspector Sejer and his colleague Skarre head the murder inquiry, planting seeds of suspicion in a community which has always believed itself to be peaceful and safe."

New Books

1. The Petrified Flesh by Cornelia Funke (Mirrorworld #1).

"Jacob has uncovered the doorway to another world, hidden behind a mirror. It is a place of dark magic and enchanted objects, scheming dwarves and fearsome ogres, fairies born from water and men born from stone.

Here, he hunts for treasure and seeks adventure in the company of Fox - a beautiful, shape­shifting girl, who guides and guards him.

But now Jacob's younger brother has followed him into the mirrored world, and all that was freedom has turned to fear. Because a deadly curse has been spoken; and Jacob must risk his life to reverse it, before his brother is turned to stone forever..."

Women Authors Whose Work I've Enjoyed - Joan Didion

Joan Didion

Joan Didion was an American journalist, essayist and writer born in California in 1934 and died in New York in 2021. While the name was familiar to me, I never really saw any of her publications until her death in 2021 and the publication of her last book, Let Me Tell You What I Mean, published in 2021. I bought a copy at a bookstore I enjoy visiting in Qualicum Beach and have since read it and another. I will continue to explore her works and themes. I'll look at the two books I've enjoyed so far and also provide the synopsis of the book sitting on my book shelf that I hope to get to this year.

1. The Year of Magical Thinking (2005).

"I only recently discovered the writing of American author and screen writer, Joan Didion. She passed away last December. The first book I read was a collection of her essays, her last published work. The Year of Magical Thinking was published in 2005, describing her attempts to cope with the death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne. Her husband died of a coronary event in their dining room. At the same time they had just returned from spending time with their daughter Quintana Roo, who was in a coma in hospital in New York.

This story is Didion's attempt to not only come to terms with his death but is also an exploration of grief, their lives together, her efforts to avoid places that reminded her of their lives, just a fascinating journey. Didion's writing is clear, focused, beautiful, at times almost unemotional / factual but there is an underlying emotion throughout. Her desire to have her husband back, this feeling that he will return. Her inability to give up his possessions,  because if he returns, he'll need his shoes, etc. Her time with Quintana, who recovered, went to LA, then had a severe relapse, is a life event that almost lets Didion hide from dealing with Dunne's death.

The story reads so easily but is at the same time difficult to read. It packs a real punch. Is it worthwhile for someone dealing with such loss to read this book? Honestly, I don't know, but if a person is searching for thoughts about grief, loss, life, death, it might be worth giving it a try. I will continue to explore Didion's works. I think next in line is Blue Nights, which deals with the death of daughter Quintana. (and no I don't search for tragedy, but I feel a need to read it). Oh, Didion died almost to the day that her husband died. Dec 23, 2021 of Parkinson's and Dunne died Dec 30, 2003. Ah well. (4.5 stars)"

2. Blue Nights (2011).

"From one of our most powerful writers, a work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter. Richly textured with bits of her own childhood and married life with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and daughter, Quintana Roo, this book by Joan Didion examines her thoughts, fears, and doubts regarding having children, illness, and growing old.

 
Blue Nights opens on July 26, 2010, as Didion thinks back to Quintana’s wedding in New York seven years before. Today would be her wedding anniversary. This fact triggers vivid snapshots of Quintana’s childhood—in Malibu, in Brentwood, at school in Holmby Hills. Reflecting on her daughter but also on her role as a parent, Didion asks the candid questions any parent might about how she feels she failed either because cues were not taken or perhaps displaced. “How could I have missed what was clearly there to be seen?” Finally, perhaps we all remain unknown to each other. Seamlessly woven in are incidents Didion sees as underscoring her own age, something she finds hard to acknowledge, much less accept."

3. Let Me Tell You What I Mean (2021).

"While her name wasn't totally new for me, I first became aware of author Joan Didion this past December when I read that she had passed away. A short time later I saw this book of her essays in one of my local book stores; Let Me Tell You What I Mean. I decided to read it as part of a non-fiction challenge that came up for June 2022. What a great writer!

Didion's writing is a breath of fresh air. The book is a collection of 12 essays on subjects varying from Martha Stewart to Nancy Reagan to Director Tony Richardson to just about why Joan Didion writes and how she writes. In one of the essays she talks about Ernest Hemingway, quoting the first 3 paragraphs of A Farewell to Arms (full disclosure, I've never read any Hemingway). As she talks about his writing she has this to say;

'That paragraph, which was published in 1929, bears examination: four deceptively simple sentences, 126 words, the arrangement of which remains as mysterious and thrilling to me now as it did when I first read them, at twelve or thirteen, and imagined that if I studied them closely enough and practiced hard enough I might one day arrange 126 such words myself."

She talks about the importance of the correct placement of commas and the word 'and' and even 'the'. Well, I quoted that just to say that I found Didion's writing to be of the same ilk, carefully crafted and clearly enunciating her thoughts. Were her thoughts profound? I guess that depends on what you thought of the specific subject matter of each essay. They were interesting and thoughtful and enjoyable to read. I liked how in some she rambled on from her initial premise but that even then her thoughts were clear and interesting.

It was a most enjoyable book to read and her subjects and topics all enjoyable. Now that I have discovered her, I will try more of her non-fiction and also her fiction. I've ordered The Year of Magical Thinking for my next attempt at her work. (4.5 stars)"

You can discover more about Joan Didion on her official website or at Wikipedia, or other places of course. 

Shhh! Don't wake him yet.

Enjoy the rest of your week. I'm off to take Clyde for his shot and to get his eyes checked. Don't tell him, please