R.A. White's Blog, page 16
April 16, 2015
Review of 'Song of Blood and Stone'
By L. Penelope.
This fantasy novel is easy to read and generally quick moving, which I appreciate given the short periods of reading time allotted to me by my lifestyle. The world was well thought out and made more and more sense as the story continued. I think the author did a good job of leaving questions unanswered without resorting to the 'I'll tell you when you're ready' crutch, and of revealing things as the story progressed. My favorite parts actually were the flashbacks that start a little later in the book. I kept wanting to get back to them to see what was happening. I did figure out who people were early on, though I'm not sure if I was supposed to, or not. The writing was good, and I don't remember being distracted by awkward sentences or typos.
My complaints about the book involve the romance, and I understand that other people will see it completely differently, but this is me and what I think. So, at first I understood why the two characters liked each other, but their 'insta-love' (lust) never turned into anything more for me. I never felt them growing together as people, I only saw that they were more and more attracted to each other. Somehow this led to undying loyalty and obsession, despite our heroine's insistence that it could never work out and the fact that they were doing everything in secret. There's a kind of long erotic scene that's easy enough to skip over if you don't want to read it *raises hand to be counted* that really felt too early in their relationship at the time, but then later I felt like any time in the book would have been too early. Again, I never felt like they loved each other, only like they had a mutual fetish. I admit that I'm a real stickler when it comes to this, and have a fairly narrow idea of what I want things to be like if I'm going to read something with romance in it. I knew going into this book that there would be some romance, but I had hoped it would be a subtle addition and not overshadow other parts.
The tensions in the book rely mostly on internal and romantic elements rather than the fear of physical danger, which didn't bother me (except for the romance part) but might disappoint you if you're looking for a fantasy with a lot of adventure, fighting, and near death experiences. Not to say that things don't happen, they do, there just aren't a lot of run ins with trolls and things like that. The heroine has a lot going on with family, being born of an enemy nation, and trying to fit into a new life, and that helped her feel like a real person, albeit an real person with magical powers. The only thing that struck me as odd was how mature she seemed. She wasn't yet in her twenties and had grown up very isolated, but she seemed pretty world-wise. I would have expected her to be a bit backward. Nevertheless, I found her a likable character because she was generous and willing to do what needed to be done.
Violence: There's some beating people and some fighting, but I'd say less violent than most fantasy.
Sexual Content: Far too much for my taste. At first it's just thought about, but it quickly turns into more. Romance doesn't have to be about sex. Still, I will give credit because the book didn't turn into an excuse for erotic scenes, if that makes sense. I've started and quit a couple of books that felt like the storyline was a frail frame for holding together the sex scenes, but that wasn't the case here. After the 'big scene' it steers away from descriptions.
Language: Unless I forgot, there isn't any foul language. My apologies if I missed something.
Over-all Message/Plot: The plot was well formed and I enjoyed working up to the resolution, but the infatuation elements weakened it for me. I would love to see book two being focused on what is happening in the world and leave the main characters' relationship in a distinctively lesser role.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Find it here.
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This fantasy novel is easy to read and generally quick moving, which I appreciate given the short periods of reading time allotted to me by my lifestyle. The world was well thought out and made more and more sense as the story continued. I think the author did a good job of leaving questions unanswered without resorting to the 'I'll tell you when you're ready' crutch, and of revealing things as the story progressed. My favorite parts actually were the flashbacks that start a little later in the book. I kept wanting to get back to them to see what was happening. I did figure out who people were early on, though I'm not sure if I was supposed to, or not. The writing was good, and I don't remember being distracted by awkward sentences or typos.
My complaints about the book involve the romance, and I understand that other people will see it completely differently, but this is me and what I think. So, at first I understood why the two characters liked each other, but their 'insta-love' (lust) never turned into anything more for me. I never felt them growing together as people, I only saw that they were more and more attracted to each other. Somehow this led to undying loyalty and obsession, despite our heroine's insistence that it could never work out and the fact that they were doing everything in secret. There's a kind of long erotic scene that's easy enough to skip over if you don't want to read it *raises hand to be counted* that really felt too early in their relationship at the time, but then later I felt like any time in the book would have been too early. Again, I never felt like they loved each other, only like they had a mutual fetish. I admit that I'm a real stickler when it comes to this, and have a fairly narrow idea of what I want things to be like if I'm going to read something with romance in it. I knew going into this book that there would be some romance, but I had hoped it would be a subtle addition and not overshadow other parts.
The tensions in the book rely mostly on internal and romantic elements rather than the fear of physical danger, which didn't bother me (except for the romance part) but might disappoint you if you're looking for a fantasy with a lot of adventure, fighting, and near death experiences. Not to say that things don't happen, they do, there just aren't a lot of run ins with trolls and things like that. The heroine has a lot going on with family, being born of an enemy nation, and trying to fit into a new life, and that helped her feel like a real person, albeit an real person with magical powers. The only thing that struck me as odd was how mature she seemed. She wasn't yet in her twenties and had grown up very isolated, but she seemed pretty world-wise. I would have expected her to be a bit backward. Nevertheless, I found her a likable character because she was generous and willing to do what needed to be done.
Violence: There's some beating people and some fighting, but I'd say less violent than most fantasy.
Sexual Content: Far too much for my taste. At first it's just thought about, but it quickly turns into more. Romance doesn't have to be about sex. Still, I will give credit because the book didn't turn into an excuse for erotic scenes, if that makes sense. I've started and quit a couple of books that felt like the storyline was a frail frame for holding together the sex scenes, but that wasn't the case here. After the 'big scene' it steers away from descriptions.
Language: Unless I forgot, there isn't any foul language. My apologies if I missed something.
Over-all Message/Plot: The plot was well formed and I enjoyed working up to the resolution, but the infatuation elements weakened it for me. I would love to see book two being focused on what is happening in the world and leave the main characters' relationship in a distinctively lesser role.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Find it here.
Subscribe.
April 7, 2015
Fan Mail
I don't get a lot of fan mail. People occasionally leave reviews, message me on facebook, or tell me in person, but it's rare to get an email or letter. So I thought I'd share this little gem because it made my day.
'I read your first two books, I loved them. I signed up so I can get the files to keep reading. I'm addicted. How do I get them?'
What author doesn't want to know people are addicted? I mean addiction is bad and all, but it's flattering nonetheless :).
Reviews are better for a writer in the sense that lots of people see them and they can help drive sales, but a fan letter is special because it means a person took the time to subscribe, get the email/mailing address, and write and send it. Smiles!
OK, on to productive things like ventilating the child (he has a cold and needs a break from breathing) and reading a few chapters from my friend, the lovely Winter, who is in the process of writing her own book.
Love to all,
R.A.
Subscribe.
'I read your first two books, I loved them. I signed up so I can get the files to keep reading. I'm addicted. How do I get them?'
What author doesn't want to know people are addicted? I mean addiction is bad and all, but it's flattering nonetheless :).
Reviews are better for a writer in the sense that lots of people see them and they can help drive sales, but a fan letter is special because it means a person took the time to subscribe, get the email/mailing address, and write and send it. Smiles!
OK, on to productive things like ventilating the child (he has a cold and needs a break from breathing) and reading a few chapters from my friend, the lovely Winter, who is in the process of writing her own book.
Love to all,
R.A.
Subscribe.
Dear White People
Yes, I stole the title from a movie. Maybe someone will notice and I'll get international attention for my plagiarism. I like the title for this post because it's specifically geared toward them/us, and 'Dear European Americans' just doesn't have the same ring to it.
The other day I was talking with a white lady who's married to a black man with children from a previous relationship, and we got to talking about the difficulties her dark-skinned stepchildren have that light-skinned don't, namely feeling less beautiful because our media and culture glorifies light skin and rarely portrays very dark skin as something beautiful. Anyway, we were sharing how we really hadn't been aware of many of the privileges of being white until we got very personally involved with people who weren't, because how could we know? The two of us can't be the only white people in the world who have been enlightened, but I felt a real kinship with her, a complete stranger, because we had this experience in common. Not that I can truly know what it's like to be non white since I can't experience it for myself, but I think after the books I've read and the many conversations I've had, I have a better understanding than most: There are still significant disadvantages to being non white, and when we as white people become aware of them, we can be instrumental in making the world a better place.
So here's my challenge to you, my dear white people, especially those who don't know what I'm talking about. Go out and find a person of color. Get to know said person and really listen to said person's personal experience with colorism issues, race issues, and the like. It'll be eye-opening, enriching, and may build a fantastic relationship. When you think you're seeing what I'm seeing, let me know and I'll have you guest post on the blog.
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The other day I was talking with a white lady who's married to a black man with children from a previous relationship, and we got to talking about the difficulties her dark-skinned stepchildren have that light-skinned don't, namely feeling less beautiful because our media and culture glorifies light skin and rarely portrays very dark skin as something beautiful. Anyway, we were sharing how we really hadn't been aware of many of the privileges of being white until we got very personally involved with people who weren't, because how could we know? The two of us can't be the only white people in the world who have been enlightened, but I felt a real kinship with her, a complete stranger, because we had this experience in common. Not that I can truly know what it's like to be non white since I can't experience it for myself, but I think after the books I've read and the many conversations I've had, I have a better understanding than most: There are still significant disadvantages to being non white, and when we as white people become aware of them, we can be instrumental in making the world a better place.
So here's my challenge to you, my dear white people, especially those who don't know what I'm talking about. Go out and find a person of color. Get to know said person and really listen to said person's personal experience with colorism issues, race issues, and the like. It'll be eye-opening, enriching, and may build a fantastic relationship. When you think you're seeing what I'm seeing, let me know and I'll have you guest post on the blog.
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April 6, 2015
Trooper Stories
Trooper Stories 4-4-15
1. Trooper doing his purple minion impression: Gawa agga labalaba EHHH!
Jaelyn: Trooper, stop!
Trooper in utter confusion: Why you tell me stop?
2. Nice Stranger: Is he your son?
Me: Yes.
Nice Stranger: He looks like you.
Me with stupid look on my face: Ah…
I'll be pondering that one for a while.
3. Trooper: Remember when I peed on the kitchen floor?
Me: Ah… yeah, I guess so. Why?
Trooper, shaking his head: Yeah, that was stupid.
I didn't answer him for a minute. I didn't know what to say! I couldn't say he was wrong, after all, I just talked last week about being honest, and peeing on the kitchen floor isn't exactly genius. But I also couldn't agree with him because he isn't really supposed to use that word in the first place (today he called someone an idiot without knowing what it meant, but that's a different, if related, story) and I wouldn't tell him he's stupid even if he does things I would call foolish. So I eventually just muttered something about it not being a good thing to do and left it at that.
Anyone have advice for future reference?
4. A special thank you to Trooper's friend Zachary. With his diligent assistance Trooper gathered eleven Easter eggs, ten more than he would have found on his own.
5. For the FIRST TIME EVER Trooper really got into something crafty. He dyed FIVE Easter eggs with almost no help and he was so proud of himself. He showed me his beautiful work and I raved about it, of course. With an embarrassed smile he said, "I'm a genius." I laughed and told him he sure was. But I'm not sure he knows exactly what 'genius' means.
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1. Trooper doing his purple minion impression: Gawa agga labalaba EHHH!
Jaelyn: Trooper, stop!
Trooper in utter confusion: Why you tell me stop?
2. Nice Stranger: Is he your son?
Me: Yes.
Nice Stranger: He looks like you.
Me with stupid look on my face: Ah…
I'll be pondering that one for a while.
3. Trooper: Remember when I peed on the kitchen floor?
Me: Ah… yeah, I guess so. Why?
Trooper, shaking his head: Yeah, that was stupid.
I didn't answer him for a minute. I didn't know what to say! I couldn't say he was wrong, after all, I just talked last week about being honest, and peeing on the kitchen floor isn't exactly genius. But I also couldn't agree with him because he isn't really supposed to use that word in the first place (today he called someone an idiot without knowing what it meant, but that's a different, if related, story) and I wouldn't tell him he's stupid even if he does things I would call foolish. So I eventually just muttered something about it not being a good thing to do and left it at that.
Anyone have advice for future reference?
4. A special thank you to Trooper's friend Zachary. With his diligent assistance Trooper gathered eleven Easter eggs, ten more than he would have found on his own.
5. For the FIRST TIME EVER Trooper really got into something crafty. He dyed FIVE Easter eggs with almost no help and he was so proud of himself. He showed me his beautiful work and I raved about it, of course. With an embarrassed smile he said, "I'm a genius." I laughed and told him he sure was. But I'm not sure he knows exactly what 'genius' means.
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March 31, 2015
The 'Adoption' Discussion
Last week Jonathan and I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow adoptive parent at the mall. As we got talking, she brought up something she'd been struggling with, the question of when and how to talk to her daughter about her adoption. There are reasons why this question is more difficult for her than for us, including the fact that her child 'matches' her and that she didn't have the same adoption education that we did in going through the agency we chose.
Anyway, our short answer to the question of when and how was 'now and as naturally as possible'. I'm a firm believer in truth and that dishonesty comes back to bite you, especially with family. One of the ways we encouraged her to talk to her child about her adoption was with books. A story about adoption or an adopted person is a perfect opportunity to compare adoptions and happily say things like, "She was adopted just like you are." Or "He came out of her belly just like you came out of your birth-mom's belly." I do this regularly (I'm guessing my four-year-old knows more about birth and unborn babies than a lot of kids his age do) but I think it's important for him to understand as early as possible that adoption is natural, normal, and positive, and that coming out of someone's belly isn't everything. It's something, of course, but not everything.
This conversation could be applied to situations other than adoption, I'm sure. Being honest with family goes much farther than that. I think it's so sad for kids to grow up believing something only to find out that their parents were lying to them the whole time. It kind of makes me want to give up the Santa charade, but I'm bowing out to the husband on that one.
If you want to check out my new favorite adoption book, it's a picture book called A Mom for Umande about a gorilla whose mother can't care for it. It's eventually adopted by another gorilla. It's not about child adoption, but there were so many parallels to Trooper's experience that it was easy to talk to him about his own story. Even if you don't have an adopted child, it's an interesting read.
Thanks for reading. Subscribe here.
Anyway, our short answer to the question of when and how was 'now and as naturally as possible'. I'm a firm believer in truth and that dishonesty comes back to bite you, especially with family. One of the ways we encouraged her to talk to her child about her adoption was with books. A story about adoption or an adopted person is a perfect opportunity to compare adoptions and happily say things like, "She was adopted just like you are." Or "He came out of her belly just like you came out of your birth-mom's belly." I do this regularly (I'm guessing my four-year-old knows more about birth and unborn babies than a lot of kids his age do) but I think it's important for him to understand as early as possible that adoption is natural, normal, and positive, and that coming out of someone's belly isn't everything. It's something, of course, but not everything.
This conversation could be applied to situations other than adoption, I'm sure. Being honest with family goes much farther than that. I think it's so sad for kids to grow up believing something only to find out that their parents were lying to them the whole time. It kind of makes me want to give up the Santa charade, but I'm bowing out to the husband on that one.
If you want to check out my new favorite adoption book, it's a picture book called A Mom for Umande about a gorilla whose mother can't care for it. It's eventually adopted by another gorilla. It's not about child adoption, but there were so many parallels to Trooper's experience that it was easy to talk to him about his own story. Even if you don't have an adopted child, it's an interesting read.
Thanks for reading. Subscribe here.
March 25, 2015
Did You Hear Me?
If you're a woman and you often feel like men ignore you, interrupt you, or simply forget that you're there (anyone know a heroine with that problem? :) you probably aren't imagining it. In Rima's case (Kergulen, Kings of the Red Shell) the problem usually has more to do with her race and seeming lack of experience than with her gender, but her frustration was written as an outlet for my own, which I'm sure has more to do with my gender than anything else. Well, I just read this very interesting article about the topic, and it explained and validated some of the impressions I've had about the way men tend to treat me and other women in group conversations. It's by no means an absolute, and certainly some men don't follow the stereotype, but as a general rule... don't deny it folks, you know you've been there. Here's the link to the article.
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March 17, 2015
Review of Good Sci-Fi
Laisrathera, Book 3 of 'Her Instruments'.
I'll keep this short since I've written reviews of the first two already. It's a good sci-fi novel and I enjoyed it even though I don't read much sci-fi. The series is great as a whole, and this was a satisfying continuation and conclusion. The plotting is sufficiently complex without becoming far-fetched, and the romance was handled pretty much the way I like it--important but in no way overbearing the plot. There's a bit of melancholy in the ending, but it's a sweet kind.
There was one strange thing, a sudden and odd (to me at least) relationship between two men. They were at odds with each other, and then next thing I knew they were kind of a couple. I got confused and kept trying to figure out if I was misunderstanding things or if I had missed something there. I admit it wouldn't be the first time romantic cues went right over my head, and really it wasn't at all central to the plot, but it sent me paging back in search of clues that I didn't find. Other than that, the only possible downside to the book was the large number of characters with strange sounding names. Since I'm not really good with that it was sometimes confusing, but for those who are used to reading books like this, it won't be a problem. And I still really enjoyed the book so don't let that deter you.
Language: Same as previous books, maybe a couple words.
Sexual content: The twins still had some lines, but I think even less so than in book 2, and let's just say I wasn't irritated by the way things worked out with the main characters. It was cool.
Violence: Yep, there's violence, just as I would expect for battling aliens. If you don't like it, you can skim it or skip this one.
Over-all Message/Plot: The plot surprised me several times, especially when I expected certain elements to be resolved (or not) before others, and there are some nice subtle messages, too. The characters really develop over the course of the series. Give it a try! Again, book one, Earthrise, is free so what's the risk?
Find it HERE
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I'll keep this short since I've written reviews of the first two already. It's a good sci-fi novel and I enjoyed it even though I don't read much sci-fi. The series is great as a whole, and this was a satisfying continuation and conclusion. The plotting is sufficiently complex without becoming far-fetched, and the romance was handled pretty much the way I like it--important but in no way overbearing the plot. There's a bit of melancholy in the ending, but it's a sweet kind.
There was one strange thing, a sudden and odd (to me at least) relationship between two men. They were at odds with each other, and then next thing I knew they were kind of a couple. I got confused and kept trying to figure out if I was misunderstanding things or if I had missed something there. I admit it wouldn't be the first time romantic cues went right over my head, and really it wasn't at all central to the plot, but it sent me paging back in search of clues that I didn't find. Other than that, the only possible downside to the book was the large number of characters with strange sounding names. Since I'm not really good with that it was sometimes confusing, but for those who are used to reading books like this, it won't be a problem. And I still really enjoyed the book so don't let that deter you.
Language: Same as previous books, maybe a couple words.
Sexual content: The twins still had some lines, but I think even less so than in book 2, and let's just say I wasn't irritated by the way things worked out with the main characters. It was cool.
Violence: Yep, there's violence, just as I would expect for battling aliens. If you don't like it, you can skim it or skip this one.
Over-all Message/Plot: The plot surprised me several times, especially when I expected certain elements to be resolved (or not) before others, and there are some nice subtle messages, too. The characters really develop over the course of the series. Give it a try! Again, book one, Earthrise, is free so what's the risk?
Find it HERE
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March 13, 2015
Trooper Stories
1. In Sunday school we were singing 'I've got the joy, joy, joy'. After we sang the 'down in my feet' verse, in which we stomp, Trooper decided to make up his own verse, the 'down in my butt' verse, complete with hiney wiggle. Yeesh. Later, during the worship time, one of the songs had the word 'duty' in it. Trooper thought this was hilarious, and sang the rest of the song 'dooty, dooty, dooty'. I imagine this would be funny to any four-year-old who's obsessed with all things regarding poop, toilettes, various forms of gas, and body parts that are covered with underwear, but it was still distressing.
2. We were playing Apples to Apples with some friends and I won the card, so I said to Daniel, "Oh, yeah, give it here."
So Daniel passed the card and the game continued, but I became aware of Trooper behind me saying, "Say you're sorry, say you're sorry, that's rude." Then I realized that he was talking to me.
He persisted, so I finally translated what he was saying to everyone and then apologized for 'being rude' to Daniel. Everyone laughed, and the game continued again, except that then Trooper was asking, "You forgive him? You forgive him?" By which he meant to say 'Ask him to forgive you.' So I felt I had to interrupt the game again to ask Daniel if he forgave me, which he graciously did, and then we were able to play in peace.
It was a funny thing, but also telling. It showed that Trooper really is picking up the lessons we teach even though sometimes it seems like it's all going over his head. Asking for forgiveness is a difficult thing for anyone, so I'm glad he's getting used to the idea, now. It'll help him a whole lot later down the road, especially if and when he gets married.
3. Trooper as he lifted my pant leg to see my shin: Mom, your leg is ashy.
4. To speed up the dressing process with Trooper, who is unfailingly picky about what he wants to wear, we started giving him just two or three options and making him choose one. After doing that for a while, he started going to get his own options and bringing them to me for me to chose from. Soon after that he started bringing me clothing items and then picking whichever one I didn't pick just to be contrary. Now days he usually just goes in and gets his own things without asking me, which is great as long as he doesn't pick his one remaining pair of ripped jeans when we're going out in public. But today he cracked me up because he brought me three pairs of underwear to chose from, and they were all exactly the same white (with a tinge of pink like almost everything else in this house that's supposed to be white) briefs. I said, "But they're all the…" and I stopped when I saw that familiar mischievous sparkle in his eye and realized that he thought this was funny. So I said, "That one," as I gestured vaguely at the undies in his hands.
"This one?" he lifted the second pair.
"Yep, that one."
He got to where he couldn't stop laughing as he confirmed which pair I wanted several times on his way back to his room. And to think he was probably only making sure so he wouldn't accidentally put on the underwear I picked.
I consider myself to be a mildly mischievous person, and Jonathan slightly more so. Trooper got as much as both of us put together, and maybe more.
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2. We were playing Apples to Apples with some friends and I won the card, so I said to Daniel, "Oh, yeah, give it here."
So Daniel passed the card and the game continued, but I became aware of Trooper behind me saying, "Say you're sorry, say you're sorry, that's rude." Then I realized that he was talking to me.
He persisted, so I finally translated what he was saying to everyone and then apologized for 'being rude' to Daniel. Everyone laughed, and the game continued again, except that then Trooper was asking, "You forgive him? You forgive him?" By which he meant to say 'Ask him to forgive you.' So I felt I had to interrupt the game again to ask Daniel if he forgave me, which he graciously did, and then we were able to play in peace.
It was a funny thing, but also telling. It showed that Trooper really is picking up the lessons we teach even though sometimes it seems like it's all going over his head. Asking for forgiveness is a difficult thing for anyone, so I'm glad he's getting used to the idea, now. It'll help him a whole lot later down the road, especially if and when he gets married.
3. Trooper as he lifted my pant leg to see my shin: Mom, your leg is ashy.
4. To speed up the dressing process with Trooper, who is unfailingly picky about what he wants to wear, we started giving him just two or three options and making him choose one. After doing that for a while, he started going to get his own options and bringing them to me for me to chose from. Soon after that he started bringing me clothing items and then picking whichever one I didn't pick just to be contrary. Now days he usually just goes in and gets his own things without asking me, which is great as long as he doesn't pick his one remaining pair of ripped jeans when we're going out in public. But today he cracked me up because he brought me three pairs of underwear to chose from, and they were all exactly the same white (with a tinge of pink like almost everything else in this house that's supposed to be white) briefs. I said, "But they're all the…" and I stopped when I saw that familiar mischievous sparkle in his eye and realized that he thought this was funny. So I said, "That one," as I gestured vaguely at the undies in his hands.
"This one?" he lifted the second pair.
"Yep, that one."
He got to where he couldn't stop laughing as he confirmed which pair I wanted several times on his way back to his room. And to think he was probably only making sure so he wouldn't accidentally put on the underwear I picked.
I consider myself to be a mildly mischievous person, and Jonathan slightly more so. Trooper got as much as both of us put together, and maybe more.
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March 10, 2015
Review of 'Rose Point'
Review of 'Rose Point' by M.C.A. Hogarth.
First, I should say that this is not a fluffy romance book, despite the title. It has some romance in it, but it's really a character-driven adventure story set in outer space. I'm not a romance fan, so this was perfect for me. Now, on to the review.
I enjoyed this sequel as much as I did Earthrise. It was a bit weightier than book one, and with the beginnings of a romance, but not in an unpleasant way. Sometimes sequels feel a bit weak, but not this one. It really feels like MCA knew where everything was going and she tied it together well without anything feeling forced. It ended at a good place, baiting us for book three in a totally acceptable way (no cliffhanger). I still recommend to fans of Firefly or similar shows, and to anyone else who likes a solid story with interesting characters and doesn't mind sci-fi.
A couple things that I feel a need to mention, first, there is a scene not too far in that is really disturbing and just… if I hadn't already been invested in the books I might well have said, "What the heck?" and put it down. But the situation, horrible as it is, really is the catalyst for what comes later and I understand why the author took it so far. I don't think I could have done that, but it worked. Nothing is described in detail, but still, I don't recommend for pre-adults.
MCA has a knack for giving you the idea and putting you in the place where she wants you without giving potentially offensive details, which is a fantastic talent. One I wish more writers would develop… This leads me to my only real complaint about the first book, which is the often alluded-to incest between shipmates. Again, this is never described, but it still annoyed me to have it thrown in my face all the time. Well, I was happy that in this book it was mentioned far less frequently.
I've already read book three and will be reviewing it soon. Love the series, and will probably read them again someday.
Language: Mostly created curse words with just a couple that you might be familiar with.
Violence: Yes, there's violence, but no long vulgar or explicit descriptions that I can remember.
Sexual Content: Nothing other than the previously mentioned disturbing scene and the 'free' twins.
Over-all Message/Plot: The plot flows well and makes sense. Sometimes all the names on the new planet got mixed up in my head, but I was too hooked to be bothered. There's some real growth in the characters where they learn to be more open to trust and love each other (not romantically). Get book one, it's free! If you like it, buy this one. It's a great deal.
You can find it on Amazon here.
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First, I should say that this is not a fluffy romance book, despite the title. It has some romance in it, but it's really a character-driven adventure story set in outer space. I'm not a romance fan, so this was perfect for me. Now, on to the review.
I enjoyed this sequel as much as I did Earthrise. It was a bit weightier than book one, and with the beginnings of a romance, but not in an unpleasant way. Sometimes sequels feel a bit weak, but not this one. It really feels like MCA knew where everything was going and she tied it together well without anything feeling forced. It ended at a good place, baiting us for book three in a totally acceptable way (no cliffhanger). I still recommend to fans of Firefly or similar shows, and to anyone else who likes a solid story with interesting characters and doesn't mind sci-fi.
A couple things that I feel a need to mention, first, there is a scene not too far in that is really disturbing and just… if I hadn't already been invested in the books I might well have said, "What the heck?" and put it down. But the situation, horrible as it is, really is the catalyst for what comes later and I understand why the author took it so far. I don't think I could have done that, but it worked. Nothing is described in detail, but still, I don't recommend for pre-adults.
MCA has a knack for giving you the idea and putting you in the place where she wants you without giving potentially offensive details, which is a fantastic talent. One I wish more writers would develop… This leads me to my only real complaint about the first book, which is the often alluded-to incest between shipmates. Again, this is never described, but it still annoyed me to have it thrown in my face all the time. Well, I was happy that in this book it was mentioned far less frequently.
I've already read book three and will be reviewing it soon. Love the series, and will probably read them again someday.
Language: Mostly created curse words with just a couple that you might be familiar with.
Violence: Yes, there's violence, but no long vulgar or explicit descriptions that I can remember.
Sexual Content: Nothing other than the previously mentioned disturbing scene and the 'free' twins.
Over-all Message/Plot: The plot flows well and makes sense. Sometimes all the names on the new planet got mixed up in my head, but I was too hooked to be bothered. There's some real growth in the characters where they learn to be more open to trust and love each other (not romantically). Get book one, it's free! If you like it, buy this one. It's a great deal.
You can find it on Amazon here.
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March 9, 2015
Musings and Challenges
I don't usually share my more melancholic ramblings, and for good reason. There's so much tragedy in the world that most of you don't need to be reminded of it on my blog. But I hope you'll indulge me this once, as you have once or twice since I started blogging, and that my thoughts will resonate with you.
It started a few days ago when my family and I happened to be sitting at the same bar (Panera Bread--no, I did not take my four-year-old to a brewery) with a man who was waiting for someone. He was on the phone once or twice, always very pleasantly, and near the end of our visit there he addressed me and said that he and his wife had also adopted African American children, two girls who are now in their upper teens. It's not every day we meet another interracial family, so that's always cool. But it turned out that not only did he and his wife adopt through Bethany Christian Services like we did, but he's the chairman of the board of the Maryland district, where we happened to be eating. The chances of all of this happening must be one in, well, how many people live in Maryland? The man wasn't even from the area where we met, but he'd driven there for a meeting with a man who was lost and on his way.
For some reason, this encounter got me to thinking (not for the first time) about how the way we behave really does make a difference. What if he'd been grumbling and frustrated about his late breakfast meeting? What if I'd been irritated and short tempered with my son? It would have been an embarrassing situation at best and certainly not encouraging or remarkable. Who we are when we think no one is looking really is so important.
The next morning, I called a friend to see how her sister-in-law was doing, only to find out that the woman had passed away from cancer just a couple of hours previously. Of course I felt terrible for my friend and her family, but while in the grip of sympathy I felt the stirrings of a revelation that was connected with the meeting with the adoption agency man. My friend said that her sister-in-law wasn't just a family member, she was beloved and for a reason; she had been suffering with cancer for far too long, but she was the favored aunt because she had a way of making people feel special. This woman will be remembered for generations because despite her own struggles she made a point to love others in a way that was remarkable. How many of us could really say that?
This afternoon I received more tragic news. Dear family friends from my childhood were in a horrible car crash. The mother and daughter were killed, and the father is in a coma, last I knew. I haven't been in contact with them in fifteen years, and really it's been more like twenty-five since I really spent any time around them, and yet the news struck me so intensely… I wondered if it was just the culmination of many things put together, or that maybe I was struggling with the terms of mortality, but it didn't take long for me to understand that I'm not grieving for myself, and maybe not even for the family left behind--I'm grieving because the world is awfully short on people who truly make it a brighter place, and it's lost a few in the past two days.
How many of us are so kind, patient, enthusiastic, and loving that twenty years from now, people who knew us when they were children will look back and still remember what a great positive impact we had on them? These people were so loving and patient with their disabled daughter that I didn't even realize she had a disability until later in life. I'm sure they had stress involved with it (I can't be the only one) but they handled it with such grace… and taught Bible classes and songs, and served, and laughed, and loved so wholeheartedly that it made a real impact on my church, family, and me as an individual growing up. I was fortunate enough to have quite a few people like that in my early years, and I can't help believing they have helped make me into a much better person than I would have been otherwise.
My challenge to myself and to you: be so genuinely kind, patient, enthusiastic, and loving that fifty years from now--or whenever we die--people all over will mourn our passing not simply because we're a reminder of their own mortality, but because we were so bright that they can't comprehend a world without us. And maybe our light will encourage them to carry on in our places.
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It started a few days ago when my family and I happened to be sitting at the same bar (Panera Bread--no, I did not take my four-year-old to a brewery) with a man who was waiting for someone. He was on the phone once or twice, always very pleasantly, and near the end of our visit there he addressed me and said that he and his wife had also adopted African American children, two girls who are now in their upper teens. It's not every day we meet another interracial family, so that's always cool. But it turned out that not only did he and his wife adopt through Bethany Christian Services like we did, but he's the chairman of the board of the Maryland district, where we happened to be eating. The chances of all of this happening must be one in, well, how many people live in Maryland? The man wasn't even from the area where we met, but he'd driven there for a meeting with a man who was lost and on his way.
For some reason, this encounter got me to thinking (not for the first time) about how the way we behave really does make a difference. What if he'd been grumbling and frustrated about his late breakfast meeting? What if I'd been irritated and short tempered with my son? It would have been an embarrassing situation at best and certainly not encouraging or remarkable. Who we are when we think no one is looking really is so important.
The next morning, I called a friend to see how her sister-in-law was doing, only to find out that the woman had passed away from cancer just a couple of hours previously. Of course I felt terrible for my friend and her family, but while in the grip of sympathy I felt the stirrings of a revelation that was connected with the meeting with the adoption agency man. My friend said that her sister-in-law wasn't just a family member, she was beloved and for a reason; she had been suffering with cancer for far too long, but she was the favored aunt because she had a way of making people feel special. This woman will be remembered for generations because despite her own struggles she made a point to love others in a way that was remarkable. How many of us could really say that?
This afternoon I received more tragic news. Dear family friends from my childhood were in a horrible car crash. The mother and daughter were killed, and the father is in a coma, last I knew. I haven't been in contact with them in fifteen years, and really it's been more like twenty-five since I really spent any time around them, and yet the news struck me so intensely… I wondered if it was just the culmination of many things put together, or that maybe I was struggling with the terms of mortality, but it didn't take long for me to understand that I'm not grieving for myself, and maybe not even for the family left behind--I'm grieving because the world is awfully short on people who truly make it a brighter place, and it's lost a few in the past two days.
How many of us are so kind, patient, enthusiastic, and loving that twenty years from now, people who knew us when they were children will look back and still remember what a great positive impact we had on them? These people were so loving and patient with their disabled daughter that I didn't even realize she had a disability until later in life. I'm sure they had stress involved with it (I can't be the only one) but they handled it with such grace… and taught Bible classes and songs, and served, and laughed, and loved so wholeheartedly that it made a real impact on my church, family, and me as an individual growing up. I was fortunate enough to have quite a few people like that in my early years, and I can't help believing they have helped make me into a much better person than I would have been otherwise.
My challenge to myself and to you: be so genuinely kind, patient, enthusiastic, and loving that fifty years from now--or whenever we die--people all over will mourn our passing not simply because we're a reminder of their own mortality, but because we were so bright that they can't comprehend a world without us. And maybe our light will encourage them to carry on in our places.
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