Watchmen TV Reboot, Secret Garden's Scott Retires, The Right Stuff TV Show, Socery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson, Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang and The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair

This quote made me laugh, because it's so true, though I don't see bookstores as menacing, so much as awesome. 

"Aren't bookshops strange? Sitting there with quiet menace as if they were just a shop and not an entry point to 30,000 different universes?"  Matt Haig

A reboot of The Watchmen is coming out, and though my husband, who is a true comic book fan, is skeptical, I am looking forward to seeing this great cast in action.

TV: Watchmen

HBO's latest trailer for Damon Lindelof's upcoming series Watchmen http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41365163, based on the comic book epic by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, marks a debut for fan favorite Doctor Manhattan. Entertainment Weekly reported there "are still a lot of questions about how (and when) the world in Lindelof's Watchmen operates, but news footage sees Doctor Manhattan flaunting his abilities on the planet Mars. This is where Regina King's character, reportedly named Angela Abar, says he's been living. Only now, it would appear he's back on earth."

The trailer also features Jeremy Irons (reportedly playing an older version of comic character Ozymandias), Don Johnson, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Also featured in the series are Louis Gossett Jr., Hong Chau, Andrew Howard, Tom Mison, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing and James Wolk. Watchmen premieres on HBO this October.

I became a fan of the Secret Garden bookstore back in the 90s, when we first moved to Seattle. The booksellers there were always friendly and fun to talk to and they managed to cram a lot of wonderful genres of literature in a small space (after they moved into their shop on Market street in Ballard). I wish Ms Scott only the best in her retirement.

Seattle Bookseller Susan Scott Retires

Secret Garden Books http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41368831, Seattle, Wash., recently celebrated the retirement of shop manager Susan Scott after a 40-year career in bookselling. Although she worked in retail in college and spent several years as an advertising copywriter in New York City and later Seattle, her long-term future in bookselling was set with her first job, shelving books at the Seattle Public Library in 1967. She began her bookselling career at Books & Co. in New York City in 1980, continued upon her return to Seattle at Queen Anne Avenue Books, working with its original owners back in the '90s, and joined Secret Garden in 1996.

"Susan wanted her last Saturday to be a big (sales) one for the shop, so we invited dozens of past and current booksellers, publishers reps, and, of course, customers, most of whom went home with purchases," events manager Suzanne Perry said.

I loved Tom Wolfe's book and the movie that came from it back in the 80s. I am looking forward to the television series because it has a stellar cast and it's the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, which I watched with my brothers on our black and white console TV when I was 8 years old. 

TV: The Right Stuff

"As America basks in the 50th anniversary celebration of the first moon landing," National Geographic has released the first trailer for its upcoming

series The Right Stuff http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41368848 "which uses Tom Wolfe's book as its starting point," Deadline reported. The project is from Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way and Warner Horizon Scripted Television.

Patrick J. Adams stars as John Glenn and Jake McDorman as Alan Shepard. The cast also includes Colin O'Donoghue, Eric Ladin, Patrick Fischler, Nora Zehetner, Eloise Mumford, Shannon Lucio and Josh Cooke.

"Subsequent seasons of The Right Stuff will carry through to the epochal Apollo Space Program, where humankind saw one of its greatest achievements--man setting foot on the moon--and missions beyond," Deadline wrote.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson is an utterly delicious YA steampunk fantasy that is reminiscent of Gail Carriger's Finishing School series of YA fantasy, in that it is brimming with wit and charm and young women who refuse to sit on the sidelines of life. The prose is spotless, and the plot bubbles and sparkles and flows fast, like river rapids in the summer sunshine. I honestly couldn't put it down, and read the whole book (over 450 pages) in a day. Here's the blurb: From the New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens comes an imaginative fantasy about an apprentice at a magical library who must battle a powerful sorcerer to save her kingdom.

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.
Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.
As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined. 

I loved Elisabeth and her spunky, smart room mate the aptly named Katrien Quillworthy, and I loved the fact that they were both apprentices to great libraries, which were the foundations of their world. The books and grimoires had personalities, and talked to Elisabeth, as well as becoming deadly creatures when provoked. The fact that Elisabeth was a foundling who was raised in the library from infancy, and has "ink in her veins" made me identify with her even more, as I've been a bibliophile for 55 years (having learned to read at age 4). I loved this book so much I can only hope and pray for a sequel. Of course, it has earned a special place in my heart and an A, as well as a recommendation to my fellow Steampunk-loving friends, and those who enjoy a well told tale with a solid female protagonist.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff also sports a strong young woman as a protagonist, in what could only be seen as a YA science fiction/fantasy with romance woven in, because, it is inevitable that there is a love triangle in this type of YA fiction. That said, there was a science fiction comic book/graphic novel feel to this book that made it easy to read fast, and made the plot run on an FTL engine. You find yourself nearly done with the book before you know it. The snarky phone was a fun addition to the pages, as he was able to dole out information in a fun way in chapter headings that didn't feel dull as an info-dump. Here's the blurb: The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the academy would touch . . .

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-ass tech whiz with the galaxy's biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger-management issues
A tomboy pilot who's totally not into him, in case you were wondering

And Ty's squad isn't even his biggest problem--that'd be Aurora Jie-Lin O'Malley, the girl he's just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler's squad of losers, discipline cases, and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

NOBODY PANIC.

The POV rotates from one squad member to the next throughout the book, which takes a little getting used to, but manages to not be as confusing as it sounds. SPOILER: I know that it is inevitable that one person dies in such epic tales, but I was rather disappointed that it was the awesome female pilot, who was sacrificed on the altar of the love triangle between Auri and Tyler and the hot alien Kal, who is caught in something like a Vulcan Pon Farr, where he is hormonally required to choose a mate, and has chosen Auri. Though its a tired trope, it doesn't fare too badly here, and I enjoyed all the pop culture references and science fiction classic references in the text, as well. I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone who likes Avengers or Justice League comic books, or YA science fiction involving a group of misfits who make good.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang is a sprite of a romance novel, with an interesting premise that kept me turning pages into the wee hours. The prose is stellar and the plot dances along on light feet. Here's the blurb: A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.
Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position. Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he's making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic.

The set up of an autistic young woman paying a male prostitute to help her become adept at sex isn't really new (Pretty Woman has basically the same plot with a reverse of gender) and the fact that they inevitably fall in love isn't new, either, but somehow Hoang manages, via steamy sex scenes and character vulnerability, to make it work anew, like a Star Trek reboot full of lens flares. I really enjoyed this A-worthy novel, and would recommend it to anyone who likes diverse/different protagonists and stories about them adapting their lives in new and inspiring ways. Kudos to Hoang for breaking new ground with this delightful tale.

The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair was a historical mystery has gotten tons of good ink, with rave reviews, interviews and all kinds of press and blurbs from famed authors and reviewers. Usually, books on bestseller lists leave me cold, as they're rarely worth all the hype. The Right Sort of Man, however, was worth every ounce of good ink and press swoonage, and then some. The prose was sublime, the plot fresh and fast, and the characters utterly fascinating. The British charm is in full force here, as our heroines Iris and Gwen, who have their own matchmaking business, take to the streets to solve the mystery of who killed one of their female clients. Here's the blurb:

First comes love, then comes murder.
In a London slowly recovering from World War II, two very different women join forces to launch a business venture in the heart of Mayfair―The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Miss Iris Sparks, quick-witted and impulsive, and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, practical and widowed with a young son, are determined to achieve some independence and do some good in a rapidly changing world.
But the promising start to their marriage bureau is threatened when their newest client, Tillie La Salle, is found murdered and the man arrested for the crime is the prospective husband they matched her with. While the police are convinced they have their man, Miss Sparks and Mrs. Bainbridge are not. To clear his name―and to rescue their fledging operation’s reputation―Sparks and Bainbridge decide to investigate on their own, using the skills and contacts they’ve each acquired through life and their individual adventures during the recent war.
Little do they know that this will put their very lives at risk.

As utterly engrossing as this book was, I was a bit put out by Sparks being so cavalier about having an affair with a married man. Still, it all came out right in the end, and I hope that there are at least a dozen more of these mysteries in the offing, so that I might pine for them in the future. The world of Sparks and Bainbridge beckons! I'd give this lush and immersive mystery novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who likes well written post WWII mysteries set in England.

 

American Master Ursula K LeGuin, Storied Life of AJ Fikry Movie, Quote of the Day, The Great Unexpected by Dan Mooney, The Last Word by Samantha Hastings, Waisted by Randy Susan Meyers, and Dungeon Crawl by Annie Bellet

I've been an Ursula LeGuin fan since the early 70s, when I discovered her amazing science fiction and fantasy novels. I had the chance to meet her twice, once at a book event that used to take place in one of the warehouses on the pier in Seattle, and then later at another book event in Bellevue. Both times I was stunned by her insights and intellect and her ferocious feminism. Now that she's gone, they're doing shows about her life and work, and I can hardly wait to see them...this one in particular sounds marvelous.

TV: American Masters--Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin

American Masters--Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41283411 will premiere on Friday, August 2, on PBS, pbs.org/americanmasters http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41283412 and the PBS Video app. The film had its world premiere at the Sheffield Documentary Festival and has been shown internationally at dozens of festivals.

Produced with Le Guin's participation over the course of a decade, American Masters--Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin explores the personal and professional life of the notoriously private author through conversations with Le Guin as well as her family, friends and the generations of writers she influenced, including Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, Michael Chabon and David Mitchell.

The film also illustrates the dramatic real-world settings that shaped Le Guin's invented places using original animations over her own readings of her work.

American Masters--Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin is a production of Arwen Curry in association with the Center for Independent Documentary and THIRTEEN's American Masters for WNET. The film is directed by Arwen Curry, who is also a co-producer with Jason Andrew Cohn and Camille Servan-Schreiber. Michael Kantor is American Masters series executive producer.

I enjoyed reading this book when it first appeared on shelves, and then again with my library book group. I sincerely hope that the movie version captures the great characters Zevin created in the novel. 

Movies: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Naveen Andrews (The English Patient, Lost) will star in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41337291, based on the 2014 novel by Gabrielle Zevin. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Zevin adapted her own screenplay, and her frequent collaborator Hans Canosa will direct. Canosa told THR it was a priority to stay true to the novel and cast an actor of South Asian descent in the lead role.

It has been scorching hot outside for the past couple of weeks, and right now they're experiencing higher than normal temps all over the east coast and midwest. So this quote is particularly apt. I know that I have been staying inside where there is AC and plenty to read.

Quotation of the Day

"Let's pretend it's not a million degrees. Hope everyone survived the heat this weekend. Remember to stay hydrated and not to over exert yourself... read a book instead http://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41337238.

Love, Spiral.--Posted yesterday on Facebook by the Spiral Bookcase Philadelphia, Pa. 

The Great Unexpected by Dan Mooney was recommended to me by someone who knows that I enjoy books, like A Man Called Ove, about spunky curmudgeons who live and learn to love their fellow humans through extraordinary/hilarious circumstances. While I've enjoyed books by Mitch Albom and Elizabeth Berg (the latter wrote The Story of Arthur Truluv, which I read, and loved, twice) about older gents and ladies, I find that the more such books proliferate, the more the quality of that particular type of book tends to decrease. Fortunately, Mooney won me over from the start with the irascible Joel and the flamboyant Frank. Mooney's prose is elegant and strong without being melodramatic or preachy, and his plot was surprising and poignant. Here's the blurb: A curmudgeon and his eccentric new roommate join together to plan an epic escape in this charming, poignant tale.

Joel lives in a nursing home, and he’s not one bit happy about it. He hates being told when to eat, when to sleep, when to take his pills. He’s fed up with life and begins to plan a way out when his new roommate, a retired soap opera actor named Frank, moves in and turns the nursing-home community upside down.

Though the two men couldn’t be more opposite, a fast friendship is formed when Frank is the only one who listens to and stands up for Joel. When he tells Frank about his burgeoning plan, they embark together on a mission to find the perfect escape, and along the way will discover that it’s never too late for new beginnings.

Filled with colorful characters, sparkling humor and deep emotion, The Great Unexpected is the story of friendship, finding oneself later in life and experiencing newfound joy in the most unexpected places.

This novel had it all, a page turner that I couldn't put down with characters that I fell in love with and situations that had me roaring with laughter one moment and sobbing the next. I'd give it an A, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well told tale full of the universal truths of aging, friendship, life and death.

The Last Word by Samantha Hastings is an almost-steampunk YA novel of romance and a fiesty female protagonist whose love of stories forces her into an adventure that will change her life. Here's the blurb:

Set against the smoky, gaslit allure of Victorian London, this sweetly romantic historical debut is full of humor and stars a whip-smart female heroine ahead of her time.

Where one story ends, another begins.
1861. Miss Lucinda Leavitt is shocked when she learns the author of her favorite serialized novel has died before completing the story. Determined to learn how it ends, Lucinda reluctantly enlists the help of her father’s young business partner, Mr. David Randall, to track down the reclusive author’s former whereabouts.
David is a successful young businessman, but is overwhelmed by his workload. He wants to prove himself to his late father, as well as to himself. He doesn’t have the time, nor the interest, for this endeavor, but Lucinda is not the type to take no for an answer.
Their search for the elusive Mrs. Smith and the rightful ending to her novel leads Lucinda and David around the country, but the truths they discover about themselves―and each other―are anything but fictional.
Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan's young adult imprint Swoon Reads, The Last Word by debut author Samantha Hastings is a fun yet intellectual romp through Victorian London―the perfect book for book-lovers.

Spirited Lucinda is one of those heroines who stays with you and worms her way into your heart early on. The prose is delightfully light and airy while also keeping the complicated plot grounded and on track. I was able to read this book in an afternoon, and it provided a much needed respite from the more serious books I'd been reading that left me with a bit of a dark cloud over my head. A well deserved A here for this inspired story, and a recommendation to fans of Gail Carriger and Lilith Saintcrow's Bannon and Clare series to give it a shot.

Waisted by Randy Susan Meyers, a Seattle 7 author, was a book I anticipated reading because it was purported to be about body size acceptance, women, dieting and weight, all subjects near and dear to my larger lifestyle. I've become, like so many women in society, an expert on diets and exercise and loathing myself for years because I was too big to fit into what society's definition of a "normal" female form (I have learned to love myself just as I am in the ensuing years). Never mind aspiring to the ridiculous beauty standards foisted on every girl the moment she is old enough to hold a womens/teen magazine in her hand. So I was expecting great insight and that the female protagonists would come to accept themselves no matter their size. I was stunned and disappointed when that didn't happen, and instead, these women are brutalized into a program that starves them, forces them to exercise for 9 hours a day and take 'diet pills' (amphetamines) which were taken off the market as they had significant side effects detrimental to the health of the woman taking them. Of course, the participants dropped weight, but once they broke away from this prisoner program, they all loved that they were thinner and tried to find ways to stay slender for their crappy husbands or so they could fit into smaller clothing or be accepted by society. Here's the blurb: In this provocative, wildly entertaining, and compelling novel, seven women enrolled in an extreme weight loss documentary discover self-love and sisterhood as they enact a daring revenge against the exploitative filmmakers.
Alice and Daphne, both successful and accomplished working mothers, harbor the same secret: obsession with their weight overshadows concerns about their children, husbands, work—and everything else of importance in their lives. Scales terrify them.

Daphne, plump in a family of model-thin women, learned only slimness earns admiration at her mother’s knee. Alice, break-up skinny when she met her husband, risks losing her marriage if she keeps gaining weight.
The two women meet at Waisted. Located in a remote Vermont mansion, the program promises fast, dramatic weight loss, and Alice, Daphne, and five other women are desperate enough to leave behind their families for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The catch? They must agree to always be on camera; afterward, the world will see Waisted: The Documentary.

The women soon discover that the filmmakers have trapped them in a cruel experiment. With each pound lost, they edge deeper into obsession and instability...until they decide to take matters into their own hands.

While Meyers has her characters set up a program to help young women/girls learn to love themselves as they are, and they all seem to want to help future generations become less obsessed with weight and self image, there was still the underlying message that they'd all become happier with their "new" figures, though they'd gotten them in a dangerous and completely unhealthy way, through unsustainable rapid weight loss. The reality is that 95% of diets fail, and that number comes perilously close to 100 percent when you track weight loss over a period of 5-10 years. Then there are the health factors, such as medication side effects, menopause, PCOS and thyroid deficiencies that plague many women, that create weight gain that can't be addressed by simple diets or exercise. There were also points that Meyers didn't address, such as why it is socially acceptable for a man to want to separate or divorce his wife if /when she gains weight, while he's allowed to become bald and fat and abusive, and still be seen as desirable. I felt that Alice's husband was a jerk, and obviously not perfect himself (no one is, but men are allowed imperfections women are not), but she was willing to do anything to get him to have sex with her again and see her as desirable, which I found to be pathetic and weak and needy. In the words of vocal artist Lizzo, "If he don't love you anymore, walk your fine a** out the door." Anyway, the prose was smooth, and the plot dramatic and transparent, but I didn't really love the characters or their superficial views of life. I'd give this book a B, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes weight loss reality TV shows.

Dungeon Crawl by Annie Bellet is the 8th book in the Twenty-sided Sorceress series. I've read all of the previous books, and I had assumed the series was over and done. Much to my surprise, there is yet another book after this one that I also didn't know about, and now have on hold at the library. This particular novel starts while Jade and Alec have almost completely rebuilt their comic/gaming store, and are hoping that life lets everyone heal up and relax for awhile. Of course, it doesn't and this tale goes into necromancer and zombie territory in a big way. Here's the blurb: New Rule: Never owe a vampire a favor... Nearly a year after defeating her evil ex, sorceress Jade Crow has found some peace running her comic book store and gaming with her friends. Until the vampire who helped her win against Samir comes knocking and wants the favor repaid. The Archivist's request looks simple on its surface. Go into an empty house and check for magic items. There's just a tiny problem: simple is not Jade's forte. There are lies around every turn and soon she's neck deep in undead. Not all quests are what they seem and laid to rest doesn't mean the dead stay buried... Dungeon Crawl is the eighth book in The Twenty-Sided Sorceress urban fantasy series.

As usual, Bellet's prose is bouncy and full of vigor as it zooms along an acrobatic plot. AT nearly 260 pages, it doesn't take more than an afternoon to read, and yet it is one of those books that once started, you can't put it down, even if you have other things to do. I'm really looking forward to the next adventure in the series, and I'd have to give this one an A, though I hate zombie stories. I'd recommend it to anyone who plays Dungeons and Dragons and likes kick-butt female protagonists.

Dracula's New TV Adaptation, They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Kinokuniya Merger, Because of Winn Dixie on Stage,The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay, The Light Over London by Julia Kelly, Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass,The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall

Good day to all book lovers on this cloudy Amazon Prime Day! I find it ironic that that the huge online retailer, which started out as a book seller, now offers no discounts at all on physical books on their biggest sales day of the year. After all that we've spent over the years on Amazon, both from me as a bibliophile and my family for nearly everything else, I figure YOU OWE ME, Jeff Bezos! LOL, just kidding....sort of.

Sherlock and Doctor Who writers/creators/showrunners Moffat and Gatiss have decided to produce a Dracula mini series, which is exciting news for those of us who enjoy well told vampire stories. 

TV: Dracula

BBC One revealed a photo of actor Claes Bang (The Square, The Girl in the Spider's Web) from the new Dracula http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41199666 miniseries, which it is co-producing with Netflix. Entertainment Weekly reported that the project, "a new take on Bram Stoker's classic character," is from Sherlock creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, who will write and executive produce. Dracula will make its debut on Netflix outside of the U.K. and Ireland.

Additional cast members were also announced, including Lyndsey Marshal, Chanel Cresswell, Matthew Beard, Lydia West, Paul Brennen, Sarah Niles, Sofia Oxenham, John McCrea, Phil Dunster and Millicent Wong. They join John Heffernan, Joanna Scanlan, Dolly Wells, Lujza Richter, Sacha Dhawan, Jonathan Aris, Morfydd Clark, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Catherine Schell, Youssef Kerkour, and Clive Russell.

"I am thrilled to be taking on the role of Dracula, especially when the script is in the hands of the incredible talents of Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and the team responsible for Sherlock," Bang said. "I'm so excited that I get to dig in to this iconic and super-interesting character. Yes he's evil, but there's also so much more to him, he's charismatic, intelligent, witty and sexy. I realise that there's a lot to live up to with all the amazing people that have played him over the years, but I feel so privileged to be taking on this incredible character." 

This sounds like a beautifully written graphic novel memoir, and I laud George Takei for working so hard to put this story into the limelight right now, when so many Mexican families are being incarcerated and separated from their children in camps at the border of the US. This is a shameful part of American history that is being repeated right now, and though we currently have more media outlets to show us what is happening, all of us seem powerless to do anything to stop it, other than being outraged at the racist Trump administration.

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott and Harmony Becker (Top Shelf Productions, $19.99, 9781603094504)

Best known as Sulu on Star Trek: The Original Series, George Takei spent several years of his childhood in two Japanese-American internment camps during World War II: the Rohwer War Relocation Center in Arkansas and Tule Lake Segregation Center in California. Takei's experiences previously inspired the Broadway musical Allegiance, and now his graphic memoir brings renewed focus and attention to the lives and experiences of the 120,000 Japanese-Americans relocated during WW II.

Recommended for young and adult readers alike, including fans of Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference, Farewell to Manzanar and Snow Falling on Cedars.

This is an exciting merger, and I hope it will mean good things for Kinokuniya, which is one of my favorite bookstores in the International District of Seattle.

Kinokuniya U.S. Merges with NBC Stationery & Gifts

Effective June 1, Kinokuniya Book Stores of America http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41223846 has merged with NBC Stationery & Gifts, which operates seven Mai Do http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41223847 stationery shops in the U.S. The two companies are now doing business as Kinokuniya America and NBC America, respectively. Kinokuniya America has inherited all rights and obligations of NBC America.

According to Kinokuniya, the merger provides an "opportunity to enhance the vibrant atmosphere of its stores. NBC America has been providing highly designed stationery and gifts gathered from every corner of Japan and America, and could potentially increase Kinokuniya America's ties with popular Japanese companies and brands. In-store events related to the surrounding communities will be held regularly as well, in continued efforts to attract local customers."

Masashi Takai, chairman and president of parent company Kinokuniya Company Ltd., said that as a result of the merger, the number of stores directly managed by Kinokuniya America has increased from 12 to 19, while the number of Kinokuniya Book Stores in other countries has increased from 29 to 36 stores.

I loved this book and the movie made from it, so now I'm thrilled to see that there is musical stage adaptation.

On Stage: Because of Winn Dixie

The musical adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's novel Because of Winn Dixie http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41255161 "has leaped off the page and come to life at the Goodspeed http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41255162 in East Haddam, Conn., now playing through September 1," Playbill reported in featuring a highlights video. The production is directed by John Rando, with music from Tony winner Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening) and lyrics and book by Tony nominee Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde).

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay is one of those "bookstores changing women's lives" stories that I am usually eager to read and enjoy. Unfortunately, one of my hard and fast rules for enjoying any book is that there has to be a character that I identify with, who I find to be a good/honorable person (not that this person needs to be perfect, they just need to be endearing and not reprehensible and stupid) who learns and grows throughout the novel. Our protagonist here is Madeline, who is a high powered attorney and a real piece of work. She inherits her aunts house and much beloved community bookstore, and instead of being gracious about it, her main concern is how fast she can sell both buildings so that she can buy more prestigious antiques. Blech. The two women who currently run the bookstore are Janet, who is snide and bitchy when she really has no right to be (she was recently divorced because she cheated on her husband, and is somehow surprised that her adult children want nothing to do with her), Claire, who is distant from her family and has a really nasty teenage daughter who apparently drinks behind her mothers back and (SPOILER) decides to destroy the bookstore with friends by urinating on the books and vandalizing the interior of the shop so badly that it is a wonder the place is still standing. For this, the girls father is only concerned with keeping her out of jail so that she won't have a record and can proceed with her life as if nothing has happened! Seriously crappy parenting there, where they don't want her to be responsible for her actions, when she should spend time in jail, and she definitely should name the others who took a baseball bat to the valuable letters that gave the bookstore its name, that will never be replaced. But none of this happens, and because she is a minor by a couple of months (!) she basically gets off scot free, which is shameful. Here's the blurb:

One of Madeline Cullen’s happiest childhood memories is of working with her Aunt Maddie in the quaint and cozy Printed Letter Bookshop. But by the time Madeline inherits the shop nearly twenty years later, family troubles and her own bitter losses have hardened Madeline’s heart toward her once-treasured aunt—and the now struggling bookshop left in her care.
While Madeline intends to sell the shop as quickly as possible, the Printed Letter’s two employees have other ideas. Reeling from a recent divorce, Janet finds sanctuary within the books and within the decadent window displays she creates. Claire, though quieter than the acerbic Janet, feels equally drawn to the daily rhythms of the shop and its loyal clientele, finding a renewed purpose within its walls.
When Madeline’s professional life falls apart, and a handsome gardener upends all her preconceived notions, she questions her plans and her heart. Has she been too quick to dismiss her aunt’s beloved shop? And even if she has, the women’s best combined efforts may be too little, too late.

As noted previously, I didn't really like any of these women, so I found the book difficult to get into, but after the first 60 pages things began to move along. The prose was workmanlike and the plot easy to follow, with the inevitable HEA ending. What I found most odd about the book, however, was the authors use of religion that suddenly found it's way into the three main character's lives through Bible quotes left to them by Aunt Maddie in letters after her death. Readers don't find out about this until page 230 or so, when the book is winding down to its conclusion. Suddenly, it's all talk of how God figures in their lives, which is weird at best, and an unwelcome interruption at worst.Therefore I have to downgrade this novel from a B to a C, and only recommend it to those who like religious redemption stories with female protagonists.

The Light Over London by Julia Kelly (any relation to author Martha Hall Kelly of Lilac Girls and Lost Roses fame?) is yet another WWII historical romance novel, this time revolving around the women who worked in the ATS dept shooting down enemy aircraft with big "ack-ack guns" on the roofs of  London during the Blitz. AS is often the case, the book goes back and forth from a modern day protagonist, Cara, who finds a WWII diary of Louise Keene, who takes the alternating chapters to tell her story. Here's the blurb: Reminiscent of Martha Hall Kelly's Lilac Girls and Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, this sweeping, entrancing story is a must-read for fans of remarkable women rising to challenges they could never have predicted.

It’s always been easier for Cara Hargraves to bury herself in the past than confront the present, which is why working with a gruff but brilliant antiques dealer is perfect. While clearing out an estate, she pries open an old tin that holds the relics of a lost relationship: among the treasures, a World War II-era diary and a photograph of a young woman in uniform. Eager to find the author of the hauntingly beautiful, unfinished diary, Cara digs into this soldier’s life, but soon realizes she may not have been ready for the stark reality of wartime London she finds within the pages.

In 1941, nineteen-year-old Louise Keene’s life had been decided for her—she’ll wait at home in her Cornish village until her wealthy suitor returns from war to ask for her hand. But when Louise unexpectedly meets Flight Lieutenant Paul Bolton, a dashing RAF pilot stationed at a local base, everything changes. And changes again when Paul’s unit is deployed without warning.

Desperate for a larger life, Louise joins the women’s branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft gun unit as a Gunner Girl. As bombs fall on London, she and the other Gunner Girls relish in their duties to be exact in their calculations, and quick in their identification of enemy planes during air raids. The only thing that gets Louise through those dark, bullet-filled nights is knowing she and Paul will be together when the war is over. But when a bundle of her letters to him are returned unanswered, she learns that wartime romance can have a much darker side.

Though the prose was engaging and delved deep into the history of gunner girls, an area of women's history that has largely been passed by, I found that the plot dragged and snagged on various historical minutia. Louise seems to have the requisite horrible parent, as do all British characters, and Cara is also rather wimpy, until later in the book, when she finally grows a spine. So, while I enjoyed some of the story, I felt the characters were a bit too stereotypical for my tastes. I'd give this book a B-, and recommend it to those who enjoy Martha Hall Kelly's books, with a caveat that Julia Kelly's characters aren't as strong.

Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass is a cozy cat mystery of the type that my mother adores, because she's a huge fan of kitty cats and certain types of dogs, and she likes gentle mysteries to soothe her before she goes to sleep each night. This particular paperback involved a book mobile and a stray cat named Eddie, so I decided to preview it before I send a copy to my mom. Here's the blurb: With the help of her rescue cat, Eddie, librarian Minnie Hamilton is driving a bookmobile based in the resort town of Chilson, Michigan. But she’d better keep both hands on the wheel, because it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Eddie followed Minnie home one day, and now she can’t seem to shake the furry little shadow. But in spite of her efforts to contain her new pal, the tabby sneaks out and trails her all the way to the bookmobile on its maiden voyage. Before she knows it, her slinky stowaway becomes her cat co-pilot!

Minnie and Eddie’s first day visiting readers around the county seems to pass without trouble—until Eddie darts outside at the last stop and leads her to the body of a local man who’s reached his final chapter.

Initially, Minnie is ready to let the police handle this case, but Eddie seems to smell a rat. Together, they’ll work to find the killer—because a good librarian always knows when justice is overdue.
This was one of those books I like to think of as a "beach read" or palate cleanser between other more meaty texts. The prose is light and fun, the plot brisk and the characters funny, offbeat and generally cute. My only problem was that Minnie, as is the case with many cozy mystery protagonists, is more than a soft touch, she's nearly spineless and gives in to all the pushy people and bullies around her who want her to do things for them, often dangerous things, while they can't seem to muster the courage to help her at all. She needs to learn to say no, but of course she doesn't, otherwise we wouldn't have her get into trouble in the book. Still, I'd give this book a B, and recommend it to cat lovers and cozy mystery fans everywhere.

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall (who is, apparently, a guy) was recommended to me by a steampunk fantasy author whose work I enjoy, and who also has fans that enjoy Sherlock Holmes mysteries and all the modern permutations thereof. I don't know why, then, that I was surprised that the prose was 19th century Conan Doyle style, complete with long, drawn out sentences and odd word usage. The first 100 pages were difficult to read, as I had to acclimate myself to the dense, hyperbolic prose of the era. Still, once I got over the tufted velvet ottoman of each paragraph, the novel really began to steam ahead and become enjoyable. Here's the blurb: In this charming, witty, and weird fantasy novel, Alexis Hall pays homage to Sherlock Holmes with a new twist on those renowned characters.

Upon returning to the city of Khelathra-Ven after five years fighting a war in another universe, Captain John Wyndham finds himself looking for somewhere to live, and expediency forces him to take lodgings at 221b Martyrs Walk. His new housemate is Ms. Shaharazad Haas, a consulting sorceress of mercurial temperament and dark reputation.
When Ms. Haas is enlisted to solve a case of blackmail against one of her former lovers, Miss Eirene Viola, Captain Wyndham is drawn into a mystery that leads him from the salons of the literary set to the drowned back-alleys of Ven and even to a prison cell in lost Carcosa. Along the way he is beset by criminals, menaced by pirates, molested by vampires, almost devoured by mad gods, and called upon to punch a shark.

But the further the companions go in pursuit of the elusive blackmailer, the more impossible the case appears. Then again, in Khelathra-Ven reality is flexible, and the impossible is Ms. Haas' stock-in-trade.

So Captain John, our Dr Watson stand in, and Shaharazad Haas, our female avocado Sherlock Holmes, go about wreaking havoc and wielding magic wherever they go in this dystopian science fictional Great Britain. I didn't really like Haas, who had all of Sherlock's vices and none of his charm, but prim and prissy Captain/Watson was a hoot, and the rolicking plot kept me glued to the last 80 pages until the wee hours. The tedious prose style might keep me from reading another book in this series, however, as I felt it took me too long to decipher it. Therefore I'm giving this short novel a B+ and recommending it to Holmes and Watson fans who like a lot of magic and dystopian dimensions in their mysteries, and who don't mind the old fashioned prose. 

The Flight Attendant on TV, Locus SF Awards, Costco Picks School of Essential Ingredients, Sandman Coming to Netflix, The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas, Shift and Dust by Hugh Howey and All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Though I was never a big fan of The Big Bang Theory, I am excited to see that one of its stars, Kaley Cuoco is going to be producing a series based on the book The Flight Attendant. 

TV: The Flight Attendant

Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) "is staying at the studio behind the blockbuster comedy series with an expansive new agreement at Warner Bros. TV Group that includes a series pickup by WarnerMedia's upcoming streaming platform of thriller drama The Flight Attendant http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41112662," based on the novel by Chris Bohjalian, Deadline reported. Cuoco will star and executive produce, with Greg Berlanti's Berlanti Prods. producing alongside Warner Bros.

Cuoco launched her Yes, Norman Productions company in 2017 with a pod (production overall deal) at WBTV, and the first project under that deal was The Flight Attendant, with Cuoco optioning the rights to the book before it had been published by Doubleday. Steve Yockey (Supernatural) wrote the adaptation. Filming is expected to begin this fall.

I am also thrilled to see that The Calculating Stars, a book that I read, enjoyed and reviewed favorably here on my blog has won a coveted Locus Award for best science fiction novel! Kudos to Mary Robinette Kowal and all the winners.

Awards: Locus Winners

The winners of the 2019 Locus Awards http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41112666, sponsored by the Locus Science Fiction Foundation, are:

Science Fiction Novel: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)Fantasy Novel: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (Del Rey)Horror Novel: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay (Morrow)Young Adult Novel: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray)First Novel: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga)Novella: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)Novelette: The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander (Tor.com Publishing)Short Story: "The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington" by Phenderson Djèlí Clark (Fireside 2/18)Anthology: The Book of Magic edited by Gardner Dozois (Bantam)Collection: How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US)Magazine: Tor.comPublisher: TorEditor: Gardner DozoisArtist: Charles VessNonfiction: Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing by Ursula K. Le Guin and David Naimon (Tin House)Art Book: The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition by Ursula K. Le Guin, illustrated by Charles Vess (Saga)Special Award 2019: Community Outreach & Development: Mary Anne Mohanraj

I've read and loved every book written by the delightful Erica Bauermeister, who was kind enough to let me interview her for different publications twice. Her first book, the School of Essential Ingredients is a delicious dream of a novel that stays with you long after you've turned the final page. I am so glad that Costco's book buyer has chosen this fine book as their July pick for readers.

Pennie Picks: The School of Essential Ingredients

Pennie Clark Ianniciello, Costco's book buyer, has chosen The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (Berkley, $16, 9780425232095) as her pick of the month for July. In Costco Connection, which goes to many of the warehouse club's members, she wrote:

"Life is made up of small moments, and Erica Bauermeister captures a collection of those moments beautifully in her novel The School of Essential Ingredients, this month's book buyer's pick.

"When eight strangers gather for a monthly cooking class they are all at different places in their lives. Over the duration of the class, readers learn about each character as the characters, in turn, learn about themselves.

"This book gives readers plenty to feast on."

 Another book that I read and loved years ago is actually a graphic novel series written by the incredible Neil Gaiman. I am thrilled that it will become a Netflix series most likely debuting next year. I can hardly wait! 

TV: The Sandman

Netflix has "given an 11-episode series order to The Sandman http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41138404>, based on Neil Gaiman's DC comic, from Warner Bros TV," Deadline reported. Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman, Grey's Anatomy) is slated to write and serve as showrunner on the series, with Gaiman executive producing alongside David Goyer.

"We're thrilled to partner with the brilliant team that is Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg to finally bring Neil's iconic comic book series, The Sandman, to life onscreen," said Channing Dungey, v-p, original series, Netflix. "From its rich characters and storylines to its intricately built-out worlds, we're excited to create an epic original series that dives deep into this multi-layered universe beloved by fans around the world."

Gaiman, who will write the first episode http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41138405 with Heinberg and Goyer, noted on Twitter: "I'm hoping we can make something on television that feels as personal and true as the best of the Sandman comics did. Just set thirty years later than Sandman the comic."

The Guardian offered a project summary: "Moving between the dawn of time http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41138406 to the eve of the new millennium in London and the Renaissance, the Sandman follows Morpheus as he comes to grips with the changes that have taken place in the world as he lay captive. It also tells the stories of his six siblings, the Endless, who include Death, Destiny and Desire."

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas was one of those books recommended to me that at first blush looks like it would be right up my alley. Strong female protagonists and a science fiction/fantasy narrative set in England are all signs that a book will appeal to me. Unfortunately, the author wasn't able to create a cohesive plot or storyline, and her prose was erratic, while her characters were mostly reprehensible, evil and weak. The book jumps from different era to different era and various character POVs with each chapter, so readers have a hard time figuring out what is going on and whose story is being told. Even the ending was a disappointment. Here's the blurb: In 1967, four female scientists worked together to build the world’s first time machine. But just as they are about to debut their creation, one of them suffers a breakdown, putting the whole project―and future of time travel―in jeopardy. To protect their invention, one member is exiled from the team―erasing her contributions from history.
Fifty years later, time travel is a big business. Twenty-something Ruby Rebello knows her beloved grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. But when Bee receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, Ruby becomes obsessed: could it be Bee? Who would want her dead? And most importantly of all: can her murder be stopped?
Traversing the decades and told from alternating perspectives, The Psychology of Time Travel introduces a fabulous new voice in fiction and a new must-read for fans of speculative fiction and women’s fiction alike.

I wouldn't call this a must read for science fiction fans at all. It will only frustrate those who like well written and well told tales of time travel. From what I could discern from this confusing story, the main thrust is that the head of the time travel scientists, Margaret, is a narcissistic, cruel sociopath who lives to make herself more powerful and wealthy while making everyone around her miserable and dead or mentally destroyed. Her polar opposite is supposed to be Barbara, who has a nervous breakdown at their first press conference, and spends the rest of her life plotting ways to get back into the Conclave (Time travel business), though readers will know that she never will be able to get back in while Margaret is alive. The other time travel pioneers are complicit in the shunning of Barbara, and are also pretty awful people, until they become older and wiser, supposedly, though none of them struck me as particularly kind or moral creatures. Ruby, Barbara's grand daughter seems to be a halfway decent character, but she gets lost in the labyrinthine plot which is so weighted with superfluous characters that it collapses into incomprehensibility. I'd give this book a C, and I can't really imagine anyone without OCD wanting to read this book. 

Shift and Dust by Hugh Howey are the second and third books in his Silo trilogy, which began with Wool, an exceptional work of speculative dystopian fiction. I had high hopes for Shift and Dust, and though I was expecting a certain amount of 'sophomore slump' from Shift, I was not expecting to be so depressed by the lack of forward momentum in Dust. Shift is mostly backstory, with jumps backward and forward in time to let readers know how these politicians decided to destroy the world,kill billions of people and set up a select number of humans in 50 underground silos where their politician leaders sleep for centuries and only thaw out to work in shifts, to keep the other silo populations isolated, drugged and in line with a codified book of rituals and rules,available only to those who are brainwashed into the upper eschelons of silo society. Here are the blurbs, first for Shift: In 2007, the Center for Automation in Nanobiotech (CAN) outlined the hardware and software platforms that would one day allow robots smaller than human cells to make medical diagnoses, conduct repairs, and even self-propagate. In the same year, the CBS network re-aired a program about the effects of propranolol on sufferers of extreme trauma. A simple pill, it had been discovered, could wipe out the memory of any traumatic event. At almost the same moment in humanity’s broad history, mankind discovered the means for bringing about its utter downfall. And the ability to forget it ever happened. This is the second volume in the New York Times best-selling Wool series.

Dust: Wool introduced the world of the silo. Shift told the story of its creation. Dust will describe its downfall.
Juliette, now mayor of Silo 18, doesn’t trust Silo 1, especially its leader, Donald. But in the world of the Silos, there is no black and white — everything is shades of gray. Donald may not be the monster Juliette thinks he is, and may in fact be key to humanity’s continued survival. But can they work together long enough to succeed? 

I liked Juliette in the first book because she was such a strong female protagonist who got sh*t done, and didn't know the word impossible. Unfortunately, the author seems to have believed that even strong women can't survive without a love interest, so Juliette has a weird sort of long distance relationship with Lukas, who inevitably dies, though we really don't get a sense that Juliette was deeply in love with him to begin with. Still SPOILER, I was glad that Juliette lead a small group of people to freedom on land that was unspoiled where they can rebuild society, but there was no indication of whether or not there were still people alive in the other silos that she could rescue from their scripted lives underground and free them to live above ground in the open air. I was also gratified to see that Donald gave his life to destroy the evil Thurman and the other frozen politicians in order to stop Thurman from killing everyone in the other silos for his dark vision of the future. Howey's prose is muscular and sharp, and his plots, at least for the first and third books, are swift and sturdy. That said,I felt that the second book, Shift, dragged in several spots and was just too long. I'd give the series as a whole a B+, and recommend it to those who like dystopian fiction with a lot of mechanical details, or who find engineering, mechanical, computer and social, fascinating.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells is a short science fiction novel that takes place on a distant planet, and delineates the story of an android (security) who has become self aware and self motivating. The prose is clean and sharp, and the plot moves along at a brisk pace.  Here's the blurb:

"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."
In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.
But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.
But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

Murderbot doesn't seem to like most people, yet it works hard to save and protect them when it doesn't have to, because it removed its 'governor' module so that it has free will. This book was kind of like a murder mystery in space, with action, an odd android and a crew of misfit scientists thrown in for good measure. I loved that Murderbot had a penchant for soap opera style stories/videos,and spends its free time watching/reading them. Though the ending was open ended, I liked this short work, but I don't really feel invested enough in the main character to seek out more books in this series. I'd give it a B, and recommend it to anyone looking for a good short science fiction beach read.