Laurel M. Stevens's Blog, page 6
July 28, 2020
Rainbow Shelf: 5 Indigo Books
The Rainbow Shelves are rapidly approaching their end (red, orange, yellow, green, blue). Indigo is second to last, and it has the dubious pleasure of being easily confused with blue so both shelves perhaps contains some of the other’s color. However, the contents of this shelf are some of my personal favorites of my own collection.
The 5 Indigo books I am listing here are all fiction this time, but I think they are wonderful choices.
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1.
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Genre: Fiction, Graphic Novel, Fantasy
This is the first year I have dived into reading graphic novels regularly, and I am loving it. I have also started pressing friends who read them for recommendations – and have looked up lists like “5 Top Graphic Novels of the Last Decade” and such for recommendations. Nimona popped up on several of those.
With my interest in fantasy the cover caught my eye and then part of the description had “brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent” and I added it to the list. I am actually starting it early next week and cannot wait! Dragons! Battles! Shapeshifters!
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2.
The Archived by Victoria Schwab
Genre: YA Fantasy
Regretfully this a series that was never finished due to publishing bureaucracy (and will never be finished according to the author), but the premise sounds fascinating to me. Normally I would be hesitant to start a series with no ending but the concept of souls resting around in an archive similar to books that only some people can read? It appeals to the part of me that likes archives and the part of me that enjoys a story with a deep, macabre twist.
The main character, Mac, is the Keeper of these archives is pulled into a twisting mystery when it turns out that someone has been deliberating altering the contents of the archives. It touches on the boundaries of the living and the dead, sleeping and waking, and I think it sounds quite worthy of a read, regardless of the incompleteness.
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3.
The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy Retelling
As mentioned in my previous lists, I enjoy retellings of fairy tale and children’s stories. From complete genre changes to new point of view takes on the classic stories, the concept has always piqued my interest. Beauty and the Beast has long been one of my favorites as well. As a child growing up I envied the library in the Disney animated version and then as an adult I wondered at the kindness Belle expressed versus the darker assumptions applied to that tale (everything from bestiality to STARTING TO RELY ON CAPTOR).
This particularly retelling is from the Beast’s point of view, a rare gem for this fairy tale that so often focuses on the Beauty character. I don’t know if I will like the change until I read it, but for now the concept is enough for me to add it to the tbr pile.
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4.
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Genre: Science Fiction, Alternative History
In this version of Earth, the year 1952 happened quite differently with a meteorite falling and obliterating much of the Eastern Coast of the USA. This event puts Earth on a rapidly dwindling timer for humanity as it will soon be inhabitable and the space race takes on a much more dramatic face.
This story follows Elma York, initially hired as a calculator to get the first man on the moon before she starts to wonder why she can’t be the one to go to space. Or for that fact, why can’t a woman go? There are women pilots and scientists and societies views on what a woman should do may not be enough to slow Elma down.
I am always up for an alternate history book with a strong female lead.
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5.
Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen
Genre: YA Fantasy (with dragons)
An unusual murder, a fantastical atlas, and three perfect strangers sound like great ingredients for a great literary jaunt. Not to mention that the series is called The Imaginarium Geographica appeals to both the adult and the child within me. The title having the word dragon in it does not harm either.
This appears to be a book that I would enjoy at any stage in my life, and if there ever comes a time I do not enjoy a fantastical journey I fear there shall be much wrong with my world.
Here is a full list of the indigo books in the picture above:
The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien by John GarthThe Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian SelznickWayward Son by Rainbow RowellVoices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott The Looking Glass Decades by Jay E. Daily (This book does not have an ISBN, you can find it by searching online but Goodreads does not have an entry for it.)Infinity by Sherrilyn KenyonThe Bane Chronicles by Cassandra ClareDoctor Who by Dan Abnett & Jonathan MorrisThe Last Romantics by Tara ConklinThe Night Circus by Erin MorgensternWhat Star? by Brian JonesAmerican Gods by Neil GaimanThe Black Tides of Heaven by J. Y. YangSeafire by Natalie ParkerThe Blue Fairy Book by Andrew LangThe Arabian Nights translated by Sir Richard BurtonSpinning Silver by Naomi NovikThe Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake
July 26, 2020
Rainbow Shelf: 5 Blue Books
Blue was the first true challenge of the Rainbow Shelves (red, orange, yellow, green) – what is blue and what is indigo? I did the best I could, but I still think a few slipped their way through onto the not-quite-correct shelf. At the very least, I had enough shades of blue that there are no repeats.
5 Blue Books to consider:
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1.
Ikigai by Hector Garcia Puigcerver and Francesc Miralles, translated by Heather Cleary
Genre: Non-Fiction, Philosophy
“Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” – Japanese Proverb
Is it really possible to be happy by always staying busy? The Japanese philosophy of Ikigai says yes. This book explores the idea of Ikigai, which loosely means a reason to live. When passion, profession, mission, and vocation intersect for a person, staying busy with such a thing inspires you to get up every morning and live with meaning.
The authors take a deep five into this concept, because after all – who wouldn’t want to live every day happy?
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2.
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir
A vacation to Huntsville, Alabama suddenly becomes a permanent move to the USA – a daunting prospect when you are from Seoul, South Korea, still a student, and don’t speak English particularly well.
A new school, a new family, and a strained relationship with the one person who may most understand, her mother, Robin struggles day to day. She misses her comics, her friends, and her home. Then one day her mother enrolls her in a comic drawing class, and a future she never imagined begins to open to her.
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3.
Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid by Nikki Giovanni
Genre: Poetry, Non-Fiction Essays
Nikki Giovanni is a Grammy-nominated poet and her poems have often been called undeniably authentic distillations of black life in America. To be a prolifically published poet with numerous awards means that you have a skill for the written word, but this collection focuses on the simple pleasures of everyday life and the bonds that connect the people closest to us.
Life always desires more poetry (or at least my life does), and a collection celebrating life being lived happily sounds almost as perfect as it can get.
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4.
Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Magical Realism
The title already says there is going to be magic, tea, and Paris. I’m sold!
The book follows Vanessa Yu (I know, you never would have guessed lol), a psychic who never wanted to be able to see people’s fortunes in tea leaves. In an effort to avoid giving fortunes she switches to coffee, but fortunes still manage to complicate her life regardless. It doesn’t help that she has matchmaking attempts from her parents persist even as she goes from California to Paris.
This book sounds like quite the adventure, and I look forwarding the laughing while reading.
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5.
My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Romance
Boston and baseball are not necessarily selling points for me. I have nothing against either of those topics, but I also have no outstanding interest in them at the moment. However, I do have a weakness for letters so the summary of this book beginning with “Dear Anthony:” did catch my eye.
Not only letters, but the summary of the characters had me smiling. T.C. who is trying to woo Alejandra. Alejandra who is trying to avoid familial responsibilities, and T.C.’s brother who is a) gay, b) in love, and c) the only person unaware of this fact. Yeah, I’ll hop on for Boston and baseball with that kind of hook.
List of books in my Blue Shelf picture:
To Capture What We Cannot Keep by Beatrice ColinThis is Philosophy of Mind by Peter MandikLess by Andrew Sean GreerThis is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max GladstoneSo You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma OluoFierce Fairytales by Nikita GillThe Serpent of Venice by Christopher MooreBuried in Books by Julie RuggOn a Sunbeam by Tillie WaldenThe Little Library Cookbook by Kate YoungKafka on the Shore by Haruki MurakamiEleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail HoneymanBook by Book: Notes on Reading and Life by Michael Dirda The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry The Sorcerer’s Companion by Allan & Elizabeth KronzekCity of Dark Magic by Magnus FlyteTransmedia Harry Potter edited by Christopher BellThe Belgariad by David EddingsBento Box in the Heartland by Linda Furiya Tales + Fables, Yugoslav Folk-Tales, The Jack Tales Peter Pan by J. M. BarrieA Concise History of Japan by Brett L. WalkerEurope in the Middle Ages by Robert S. HoytThe Complete Peter Rabbit by Beatrix PotterThe Hidden Myths in Harry Potter by David Colbert
July 24, 2020
Rainbow Shelf: 5 Green Books
The green shelf marks halfway through the rainbow (see the red, orange, and yellow shelves). Green also happens to be my favorite color, and I could not resist adding two of my little green dragon friends to the shelf picture.
I did not choose any dragon books for my 5 Green Books, but I think they are good choices nonetheless.
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1.
The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean
Genre: Non-Fiction, Science
The periodic table of elements may remind you of high school chemistry class (a potential scene for some disappointing memories), but this book has fun with all the fascinating and funny historical tidbits surrounding the periodic table. Chemists and physicists have been having fun with science for centuries, but this brook brings it down to understandable level for the average lay person – no complex science background necessary!
Anytime a book that makes science more approachable and isn’t afraid to laugh at itself comes out I have to put it on my list.
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2.
The Pirates of Pacta Servanda by Jack Campbell
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
This particular book is fourth in the series, but it quite the series. For this particular set of works I will plug the audio book over the written. I believe this series was written to be an audio book first and foremost. There are some minor typos scattered throughout the printed books, but the whole series is so much fun!
The setting is rather steampunk with some magic thrown in and you follow two primary characters as their paths intersect. One is a member of the Mages Guild, the other a member of the Mechanics Guild, two Guild that are at each others throats. That does not stop these two for long.
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3.
The Emerald Circus by Jane Yolen
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Short Stories
Jane Yolen puts a modern twist on childhood classics and fairy tales like Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and Peter Pan. The summary teases a labor strike against the Lost Boys, a Jabberwock with a sense of humor, and Dorothy coming back to Kansas with impressive gymnastics skills.
I love short stories, and I love fairy tale retelling so this collection of sixteen stories seems like a shoe-in for me. I am even curious to read the Introduction.
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4.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Genre: Fiction, Children’s, Poetry
“Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy.”
The Giving Tree is a nostalgic book for me. It is one of the first books I remember being read to me, and also one of the first books that made me both sad and angry. The ‘See Spot Run’ books didn’t have quite the same impact.
Even re-reading this as an adult sends me into a spiral of thinking about love, sacrifice, and the gifts we choose to give versus the tings that are taken from us. This is a true ‘for all ages’ book.
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5.
Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman
Genre: Non-Fiction, Essays, Memoir
Essays about books are one of the best types of essays in existence in my personal opinion. However, as you are reading this on a book blog you are well aware that I do hold a certain level of bias.
One of the common themes that appear in first person book essays that amused me greatly was the ‘merging of the libraries’. Fadiman called it the ‘Marriage of the Books’. It brings me joy to read the perspective of someone else who loves books just as much as I do, even if it is not loving books in the exact same way.
List of my green books that you can see on the shelf above:
The Lore of the Unicorn by Odell Shepard Storm Thief by Chris Wooding The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. KirbyPeter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley PearsonGreat Folk Tales of Old Ireland by Mary McGarryThe Sky Observer’s Guide by Mayall, Mayall, and WyckoffThe Hatred of Poetry by Ben LernerFangirl by Rainbow RowellQuidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp AKA J.K. RowlingThe Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard PyleDragonWorld by Pamela WissmanThe Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde Kings or People by Reinhard BendixLovecraft Short Stories by H. P. Lovecraft Literatures of Madness edited by Elizabeth J. DonaldsonThe Drunken Botanist by Amy StewartThe Outstretched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
July 22, 2020
Rainbow Shelf: 5 Yellow Books
Welcome to the yellow shelf installation of my Rainbow Shelves (see red here and orange here). Yellow is a light and optimistic color that reminds me of sunshine, until it turns neon and then I think of warning signs. I think this was the color of the rainbow for which I had the fewest number of fiction books so I made 4 out of my 5 Yellow books in the list fiction.
Without further ado, 5 Yellow Books (4 I want to read and 1 I want to recommend):
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1.
Grown by Tiffany Jackson
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Young Adults
To begin with, a character named Enchanted already has my support. Some names for a character make you sit up and pay attention – this is one of them for me. Enchanted is a girl whose dreams are taking flight until she wakes up one morning with no memory of the night before and blood on her hands.
This outline may fairly reek of cliche, but I think a cliche of the best kind – and one with fresh context in this case. It sounds like it will be a dark, twisty read, but one that will leave you wanting to know how it ends.
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2.
In the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn
Genre: Fiction, Magical Realism
Stories about legends always manage to pique my interest. There is something so fascinating about learning stories from different cultures, and I am thrilled employing them in a modern setting is still popular among writers.
I am not familiar with Hawaiian Legends, but I am always up for learning. I also respect sharks as one of the most efficient predators of the oceans. They are beautiful and deadly. I can’t help but to think that this book will be the same.
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3.
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
I died laughing while reading this. I literally I read this out loud and had trouble breathing I was laughing so hard. Allie Brosh pulls no punches when describing her mindset – her failures and foibles are on full display. I love it. Rarely have I read a book that is meant to be both deep and funny and connected with it.
I am so glad I decided not to skip it (I cringed at the art style), and I have since recommended it to at least a dozen people. I have also ended up talking with a handful that have already read it as well.
Seriously though, go read it.
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4.
Natural History by Carlos Fonseca
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
The buzzwords on the back of this book are “art, politics, and hidden realities”. Those three words together sound like quite the promising premise already. This English translation book was only released about a week ago, so I haven’t heard much about it yet. However, I am keeping my eyes open.
A museum curator, a fashion designer, a death, a mind-bending puzzle, and the idea of reality as a curtain are all smashed onto the back cover. This seems like a deep and complex story, with a backdrop I’m sure I will adore.
[image error]The Circus: Lure and Legend by Mildred Sandison & Wolocott Fenner
July 20, 2020
Rainbow Shelf: 5 Orange Books
After red (see the red shelf post here) in the rainbow comes orange, and I was honestly surprised that I had enough orange to fill a shelf even though I did need to forward face the one book. Orange, as much as I have friends that adore it, is one of my least favorite colors. I would have assumed that, even unconsciously, I would have gravitated away from that color. For the sake of my rainbow shelves I am glad that does not seem to be the case!
Without further ado, 5 Fascinating Orange Books:
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1.
There There by Tommy Orange
Genre: Fiction, History, Novel
Native American fiction is getting more and more coverage as time goes on (thank heavens – and it can still use more, don’t get complacent!), and There There made a splash as a first novel by an Indigenous author that was nominated for several awards, including The Pulitzer Prize.
It it a multi-perspective novel that hones in on the indigenous experience, especially in the urban parts of the USA. It has been on my list of books to read since I first stumbled across the hardback shortly after its initial release. There are some polarized reviews about how enjoyable the content is to read, but to me the topics it addresses mean that I will be reading it to decide for myself.
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2.
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
Genre: Non-Fiction, Graphic Novel, Sports
The title for this work is what initially drew my attention, largely because it had me imagining dragons playing basketball. This graphic novel is not about dragons playing basketball. It is instead a non-fiction account of a high school basketball team’s journey to playing in the state championship.
While I tend not to enjoy watching sports, this graphic novel was about so much more than just basketball. It was about the passion, drive, and experience of everyone involved in the game and, despite my own ambivalence towards the game, I enjoyed the whole thing.
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3.
The Dinosaur Artist by Paige Williams
Genre: Non-Fiction
Hello DINOSAURS! Dinosaurs rate highly on my list of favorite topics, and this book seems like it will focus not only on dinosaurs but on the difficulties that exist with dinosaur fossils in the modern age. A non-fiction account of this particular fossils journey promises a wealth of background information.
Do the bones belong where they were found? to the person who found them? to the person who can pay the most money for them? or to those that could learn the most from them?
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4.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Genre: Fiction
Did I like this book? I don’t know. Did I enjoy this book? No. Was this a well-written and crafted book? 100% yes.
This book fascinates me. It has phenomenal characterizations and moving descriptions of scenery and peoples, yet I would often feel so disgusted after reading sections. I could not just stop reading the book completely, but I also had to read it in chunks. Kingsolver’s talent with words awed me even as I despaired more and more at what was happening to and because of the Prices.
The copy I read was also violently orange, so this was one of the first books I thought of in association with the color.
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5.
Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss
Genre: Fiction, Children’s Poetry & Picture
Growing up and learning more about the lives of authors has thoroughly disillusioned me in regards to Dr. Seuss. However, having taught children to read and watched how much books like these are adored by new readers makes it difficult for me to put aside his books completely.
His works remain part of my life-long struggle in attempting to define where art and the artist meet and where they diverge for me as a consumer, but Green Eggs and Ham will always be part of the warm memories of the first stops and starts of reading for me.
…and a full list of the books on my orange shelf (see above image):
Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type by Paul Tieger & Barbara Barron-TiegerThe Gluten-free Kitchen by Pamela MoriartyThe Spice Companion edited by Alison Candlin for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake ShangeThe Last Bookaneer by Matther PearlChocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light by Mort RosenblumGuns, Germs, and Steel by Jared DiamondTranslations from the Chinese by Arthur WaleyThe Body Keeps the Score by Bessel A. van der KolkGhost Wars by Steve CollRed Sorghum by Mo YanThe Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson84, Charing Cross Road by Helene HanffSaints Astray by Jacqueline CareyThe Cornish Trilogy by Robertson DaviesThe Deptford Trilogy by Roberston Davies
July 18, 2020
Rainbow Shelf: 5 Red Books
Following the classic rainbow color pattern, my first installation in my Rainbow Bookshelf exploration is red books. I created a full shelf of red books and selected 5 of my favorite red books (regardless of their existence on my shelf of course) to expound upon.
Without further ado, 5 of my favorite red books:
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1.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Genre: Non-Fiction, True Crime
I loved reading this book. There are two primary narratives in this book, and to be completely honest the only one I cared about focused completely on the library, but the second narrative following Harry Peak was not too bad. True crime fans probably thought the opposite.
However, the book as a whole definitely stands as a well-worn love letter to books and public library both, a worthy part of any book-lover’s shelf.
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2.
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Bildungsroman
I have many fond memories of reading this series as a child and eagerly awaiting the sequel, Inkspell, and the book following that, Inkdeath. Although if I remember correctly Inkdeath was a long wait (that may be the impatience of childhood speaking though).
Meggie’s adventures after she has been read into a book, her encounter with villains and friends alike, remains dear to my heart years later. This was the first book I read that took the concept of books as portals literally.
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3.
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Genre: Fiction, Novel
In most circumstances I have difficulty looking at books I was required to read in class objectively, but something about the characters in The Joy Luck Club stuck with me. Food, family, culture, relationships, and stories all carefully enfold one another throughout this novel.
Long after I finished reading, the power in the quiet moments of this book stuck with me. After all, family is not something you often get to choose and the struggles the belong to each family are as unique as the members within it.
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4.
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
This book wins for “most appropriate title for a work of fiction.” The title, Vicious, may not seem indicative of the story within but that single word sums up so much of this book. Feelings, actions, characters, consequences, even the very world within these pages can be connected to that word.
Victoria Schwab crafted something heart-piecing and terrifying in its reality when she created Vicious, regardless of it being fiction. I would recommend this to almost any reader regardless of their interest in fantasy. It is a powerful book.
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5.
In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Opdyke and Jennifer Armstrong
Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography
This book is one of the first books I read about the Holocaust besides The Diary of Anne Frank. I was horrified. The me in high-school wanted to tall the world that, “No, something like this can’t have really happened.” It hit too many of the soft-spots that existed in my teenage mind. This book was a turning point in my life. It made me question much of what I was learning. If I hadn’t heard these details before what else what I missing?
This is a painful book, and one I wish wasn’t necessary. However, reality never has followed my whims and never will. In the end it is a true story of a powerful and brave woman – someone who chose to speak up to make sure the world knew what happened.
Bonus Book:
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You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack by Tom Gauld
Genre: Comic/Cartoon
This was a fun, relaxing book lent to me by a friend. Each page was its own stand-along comic, some of which were truly great literature puns.
A fun read for any adult.
A full list of all of the red books I assembled for my shelf (as seen above):
The Library Book by Susan OrleanThe Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas L. FriedmanRuined by Reading by Lynne Sharon SchwartzIs Work Killing You? by David PosenThe Art of War by Sun TzuResistance Reborn by Rebecca RoanhorseWicked Saints by Emily DuncanHans Christian Anderson: Classic Fairytales by Hans Christian AndersonThe Legends of Luke Skywalker by Ken LiuHarry Potter’s Bookshelf: The Great Books behind the Hogwarts Adventure by John GrangerSeeing Redd by Frank BeddorInkheart by Cornelia FunkeThe Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Timothy Basil EringA Gathering of Shadows by V. E. SchwabThe Quick by Lauren OwenThe Masked City by Genevieve CogmanThe Bone Season by Samantha Shannon The Night Circus by Erin MorgensternInside the World of Harry Potter: Critical Essays on the Books and Films edited by Christopher E. BellMaster & Apprentice by Claudia GrayBird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
July 17, 2020
Rainbow Bookshelves: Grouping by 7 Colors
The “Oh, I don’t remember the author or title but it had a red cover” request remains an in-joke of the library and bookstore worlds. I am jealous of minds that grasp and remember author names and book titles at the drop of a hat, so I have been guilty of different variations of the request for assistance. I have asked after the book “with the two green dragons” on the cover or “the one with a neon green pocket watch”.
I rarely manage to find the book I am looking for with these descriptions. However, I have discovered plenty of amazing books I may not have otherwise come across. While I have always needed to rely on writing down a book to remember it, especially before I have read it, my lack of memory for titles and authors has brought me a wealth of other interesting reads.
Grouping books by cover title on a shelf is also one the grouping methods that makes the least sense to me. The topics of books that are all one color tend to be all over the map. I will admit it is aesthetically pleasing though. With the simple goal of creating some good-looking color shelves I set out to fill seven full shelves of books, each in the color of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet).
Ironically enough, the hardest part of this was deciding which books were blue rather than indigo. The two colors are fairly similar and in the end the blue shelf may have still had some indigo on it, but I gave it my best shot. I will create a post for each color, giving a brief overview of the shelf contents and my favorite books in that particular color.
Here’s to hoping you enjoy my bookshelf rainbow~
June 30, 2020
A Look At June’s Reads
In the month of June I read 14 books, and for a full list of all my books read this year so far please visit my Goodreads profile.
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June was full of pleasant surprises for me. I started off with the gorgeous novella The Empress of Salt and Stars by Nghi Vo (you can see my full review here) and ended with Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, which was one of books I had been recommended and meaning to read for years.
Picking a favorite out of this batch is an exercise in futility. I loved the intimate peak of correspondence that Helen Hanff gives readers in 84, Charing Cross Road, but Laurie Halse Anderson’s Shout displays another kind of intimacy entirely as she peels back layers of her younger life with the same precision a skilled chef uses when peeling the layers of an onion. Persepolis granted another in-depth look at an author’s earlier life, this time accompanied by comic strip illustrations instead of poetry. As memoirs, both Persepolis and Shout are powerful works of literature. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay was more essay than memoir, but as her non-fiction work always does, it felt like holding a conversation. If speaking with Gay is actually like reading her books I can only dream of doing so. She brings important topics to the table in a casual voice that invites conversation.
The two Star Wars books I read could not have been more different. Claudia Gray’s Master & Apprentice felt a bit like meeting old friends again as I dove into parts of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s partnership prior to the prequel movies. However, Ken Liu’s The Legends of Luke Skywalker challenged the traditional Star Wars novel formula and was told as a collection of stories about Luke Skywalker that wove their way throughout the galaxy. The unconventional format and perspectives in the book had me grinning at times (talk about tall tales). The creativity with which that book was written is not often found in media tie-ins, and I greatly appreciated it.
I started A Brief History of 7 Killings back in January but only just finished it. This was a difficult book for me although it is skillfully written. The constantly changing perspectives present the challenge of looking at events from what felt like every angle imaginable. The context of the Cold War politics and Bob Marley’s impact on Jamaica were integral to understanding the story setting and required some research on my part. I am glad to have read it, but it was a read I had to work through.
I had to work through A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland as well, but it was a pleasant type of work. Every time I finished I section of the book I had to set it down and think. I still cannot quite put into words why I took this read so slow, but I enjoyed every single ponderous minute. The narrator is an elderly storyteller of questionable morals that really just wants to get released from prison, but he manages to disintegrate the entire governmental structure of the country he is arrested in along the way (through stories). It is a unique frolic through a fantastical world.
The Sleeper and the Spindle is a classic Gaiman fairy-tale with a twist and Riddell’s illustrations only improved the experience. The Dragons Are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky is a picture book meant for children, but I adored the poems. After all, who doesn’t love this:
If you don’t believe in dragons,
It is curiously true
That the dragons you disparage
Choose not to believe in you.
-pg. 10 of The Dragons Are Singing Tonight
I think that is just grand.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson felt like reading a cult classic, and the feeling of someone you can’t see standing right behind you perfectly describes the tone of this book. Slightly less creepy was the conclusion to the middle-grade series about the Guardians of Childhood, Jack Frost: The End Becomes the Beginning. I originally picked up this series due to \the movie The Rise of the Guardians, and the conclusion to the book series brought back some childhood nostalgia for tales of adventure and magic.
Last, but certainly not least, Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah tied together Russian fairy-tales, complicated family relationships, apples, and the dark events of World War II Russia. While the novel was full of cliche, the fairy-tale narrative frame and powerful characters made this a glorious read. The two primary narratives managed to keep pace with each other without one overpowering the other, despite the mother’s story invoking much stronger feelings. It takes talent to match two times together so well.
In summary, June’s books were all memorable for one reason or another, and I am happy to be able to have read all of them. I can only hope July’s books are just as good!
June 21, 2020
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik: Laurel’s Library
I first discovered Naomi Novik right as her novel Uprooted was coming out. The library I worked in had put up a display copy that I promptly borrowed. I adored it, so when the news came out about Spinning Silver I eagerly put my name down at the library for it well in advance of publication. The hardcopy cover was gorgeous and I sped through it. I lent it to my then-boyfriend before returning it and he also sped through it.
Spinning Silver remains an absolutely gorgeous book, both inside and out, but my library posts here aren’t the place to gush about the contents in excruciating detail. I didn’t actually end up purchasing the book until a little over a year alter after the paperback was released. When I can, I like finding my books in person at local book stores (both new and used), but I suddenly needed a copy of Spinning Silver for class. So I sighed and went on Amazon and ordered the first used one in good shape. (I’ve learned not to library request books I need to write about, I tend to write *in* them which the library doesn’t appreciate.)
Imagine my surprise when it arrives and I didn’t recognize the cover. Granted, I didn’t have an issue with it because all of the covers I’ve seen for this book are beautiful, but I enjoy finding new cover art and looking into who designed it.
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The copy I received was the UK Paperback of Spinning Silver. The light grey in the illustration that takes up the bottom half is silver foil stamped, so the cover shines very slightly when the light hits it right. The overall color scheme of this cover art is darker than the US versions and even the UK hardcover version. Pan Macmillan obtained the rights for this UK publication, and the cover was designed by company Crush Creative. This version was first available for sale in May of 2019. The imagery on the cover itself is simplified in comparison to the more detailed images on the US cover, but it fits the mood and setting of the novel quite well in my opinion.
The version I received was a pleasant surprise, and it is a wonderful book cover. The other covers are, as I said above, also beautiful so I’ve included some of them (German, Czech, UK Hardback, and US covers) below for your viewing pleasure. However, I am quite pleased with my UK paperback. It is a stunning paperback on my personal shelves, and I love showing it off to friends who may have only seen the initial US cover art.
[image error]Czech Cover[image error]German Cover[image error]US Hard and Paper Cover[image error]UK Hardback Cover
June 18, 2020
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo: A Novella Review
So far 2020 has been the year of finding beautiful novellas. I had only read a small handful of novellas before this year, most being either for a class assignment or as part of a larger ongoing series (think Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson), and I find myself pleasantly surprised at how much fits in a work that small.
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo appeared on my radar in January of this year after I found it on the Goodreads of the Murderbot Diaries author, Martha Wells. Stories about stories hold a special place in my heart, so the premise of a “narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women” (pulled that directly from the Goodreads description of the novella) intrigued me. The rabbit on the front cover certainly didn’t hurt. So, I found myself tossing it into my e-cart during on of my shopping trips in May when it popped up as an option.
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Even though the novella is short I almost put it back down only 2 pages into it. I didn’t have concrete expectations for the style of the writing, but I was surprised by how confused I was. I had to re-read the first several pages to even begin to visualize what was within the pages. I didn’t know what a hoopoe was, but I was pretty sure whatever it was had the name ‘Almost Brilliant’ – maybe. Googling hoopoe (gorgeous bird and on the upper left of the cover), as well as reading further and adjusting to voice of the primary point of view, Cleric Chih, made it easier for me to relax and read.
Once I surpassed my initial confusion the book absorbed me and by the end my brain was both calm and endlessly churning through possibilities. A book this short, 128 pages, that could make me think that deeply while still enjoying the story? A definite winner for me. I do have a passing familiarity with Asiatic tales and courts so there may be other aspects of this novella that would be more confusing to a different reader, but all of the details contributed wonderfully to the overall tone.
Cleric Chic, the hoopie named Almost Brilliant, and the once-servant named Rabbit slowly weave a story that resembles the slow blood-red glow of the Lake Scarlet the story is told by. It can be challenging to get in-depth with characters in the limited amount of pages of a novella, but Vo does well. Instead of attempting to cram deep, driven and fleshed out characters she puts on a performance that more closely resembles paper people – admittedly very intricate ones. There are hints of deeper topics and backstory for every single character that appears but Vo manages to give the reader just enough details without overwhelming the focus of the novella. Empire, storytelling, and the anger of women all fold back on one another throughout, and merge as the centerpieces of the whole work.
The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a story within a story within another story that manages to provide just enough detail while still leaving you hungry for more. This is an ember of a novella, and if you take the time to swallow it I am fairly sure it will continue to burn right through you. From the snatches of court intrigue, the peaceful uncovering of an angry history, all the way to unearthing secrets long buried by love and loyalty, The Empress of Salt and Fortune was a worthwhile read and just what was advertised.
