Drag Queen Story Time, How to Leave the House on TV, Turn Every Page Movie, Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cameron, Fox Creek by William Kent Krueger, Rose & Thunder by Lilith Saintcrow, and Wayward Sky by Devon Monk

Welcome to the final post for 2022, beloved book dragons, bibliophiles and others! It's been an exciting and challenging year, but I am proud of the work that I've put into reading and reviewing books on this blog. In only two years Butterfly Books will be 20 years old, and I imagine by then I will have over a thousand posts to look back on. Not bad for a disabled, retired journalist from Iowa. Happy New Year, all, and lets hope 2023 is a happier and healthier one for us all.

I love the idea of Drag Queen Story Time, because it encourages broad-mindedness and allows children to see that diversity is normal and natural, and to be celebrated, not hated. As they say in the LGBTQ community, LOVE WINS.

Drag Queen Story Time: Love Wins!

Drag queen Amanda Villa and Book Keeper owner Susan Chamberlain. Canadian bookseller Susan Chamberlain, owner of Book Keeper in Sarnia, Ont., told CBC News that when she had hosted the bookstore's first Drag Queen Story Time https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAnbwr0I6alhdhslSQ~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOCcP1poMLg-gVdw, "I felt like, 'This is why I do what I do. This is why the store is here for things like this,' because you could see the kids just soaking it up."

But during the fourth such event on November 26, there were protesters. "About 10 to 12 men dressed completely in black, their faces were masked, some of them had balaclavas," she recalled. "They were carrying a flag. They marched across the parking lot toward us, so it was quite a spectacle to behold."

She added that although most of the protesters were peaceful, some tried to engage, so she asked if they wanted to come inside and see the event. No one took her up on her offer. "I learned quickly that there is no reasoning with them and that it's best just to be quiet and ignore them."

Chamberlain's next Drag Queen Story Time is scheduled for January, and despite some pushback, support has grown, according to Chamberlain. The group Sarnia Lambton Alliance Against Hate posted on social media that it supports the bookstore, "against the hate and harmful messages they have received for their attempts to encourage diversity and acceptance in our community."

Chamberlain is planning to turn the next Drag Queen Story Time into a "Love wins" party: "We hope to fill the exterior of the store with supporters, which I think will not be difficult. I think we'll have lots of supporters and then when it's time for the story, time to start, we can all just pile into the store.... And if the protesters come, I don't think there's going to be any room for them, to be honest."

I really need to see this TV show, because I think I'm among the many who have become housebound due to the pandemic, and due to continued problems with an immune-compromised system that renders us vulnerable to every new COVID virus variant that comes along. It's a scary world out there if you are disabled in any way. So I look forward to a show that acknowledges that and is also "profoundly insightful and extremely funny to boot."

TV: How to Leave the House

Nathan Newman's upcoming novel How to Leave the House https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAnbwr0I6alhdhsjEg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOCcP1poMLg-gVdwhas been optioned by This England executive producer Richard Brown's Passenger production company, along with Chernobyl director Johan Rencks/Spaceman producer Michael Parets' new company, Sinestra. Deadline reported that the TV rights were acquired following a "competitive auction" for the book, which has a spring 2024 pub date.

Brown, Renck and Parets said the book could be an "instant classic.... Bracingly original, profoundly insightful and extremely funny to boot, we feel tremendously fortunate to work alongside Nathan as they shepherd How to Leave the House into its next life as a television series."

Deadline added that Fremantle "had acquired Passenger earlier this month and Brown's shingle is also working on an adaptation of Tess Gunty's The Rabbit Hutch. Sinestra, meanwhile, was launched in September and is adapting Antoine Wilson's Mouth to Mouth."

This movie sounds utterly fascinating. I am always interested in behind the scenes biographies of  literary legends and their lives, loves and feuds.

Movies: Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb

Turn Every Page,the documentary from Sony Pictures Classics https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAndlekI6alhdRhxTw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOD5ShpoMLg-gVdw, will open in New York and Los Angeles on December 30. Directed by Lizzie Gottlieb, the film explores the remarkable 50-year relationship between two literary legends--Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Caro and his editor, Robert Gottlieb--as they race to complete their joint work. 

Their working relationship has forged one of publishing's most iconic and productive partnerships. Caro, whose book The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York (edited by Gottlieb) continues to be a bestseller after 48 years, is now 87 and working to complete the fifth and final volume of his masterwork, The Years of Lyndon Johnson. Gottlieb, 91, waits to edit it.

Directed by Gottlieb's daughter, Lizzie Gottlieb, Turn Every Page "explores their remarkable creative collaboration, including the behind-the-scenes drama of the making of Caro's The Power Broker and the LBJ series. With humor and insight, this unique double portrait reveals the work habits, peculiarities and professional joys of these two ferocious intellects. It arrives at the culmination of a journey that has consumed both their lives and impacted generations of politicians, activists, writers and readers, and furthered our understanding of power and democracy," Sony Pictures Classics noted.

Gottlieb "has been the editor in chief of Simon and Schuster, Knopf, and the New Yorker," said Lizzie Gottlieb: "While my father is very close to many of his writers, there is something different and special and strange about his relationship with Caro. They have been working together for 50 years and are now in a race against time to finish their life's work..... These men are camera shy and not prone to sharing their process with the public, but I realized that they might open up to me. If I could capture what goes on between them, I could open a window into a secretive creative process, a vanishing world of book publishing, and reveal one of the great untold stories of creative alchemy."

Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cameron is a work of literary fiction that tackles an issue more and more relative to aging Baby Boomers, the various types of dementia, death and dying and all the regrets and secrets that pile up over a lifetime. This is the January book for my library book group. I imagine it will spark quite the discussion. Here's the blurb:

The bestselling author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep delivers a suspenseful and emotionally satisfying novel “infused with warmth and humor” about a lifelong friendship, a devastating secret, and the small acts of kindness that bring people together.

There are three things you should know about Elsie. The first thing is that she’s my best friend. The second is that she always knows what to say to make me feel better. And the third thing…might take a bit more explaining.

Eighty-four-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. As she waits to be rescued, she thinks about her friend Elsie and wonders if a terrible secret from their past is about to come to light. If the charming new resident is who he claims to be, why does he look exactly like a man who died sixty years ago?

From the acclaimed, bestselling author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, Three Things About Elsie “breathes with suspense, providing along the way piercing, poetic descriptions, countless tiny mysteries, and breathtaking little reveals…a rich portrait of old age and friendship stretched over a fascinating frame” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). This is an “amusing and heartbreaking” (Publishers Weekly) story about forever friends on the twisting path of life who come to understand how the fine threads of humanity connect us all. 

Because my mother is 85, I felt that I understood some things about grumpy, stubborn and yet vulnerable and lonely Florence. Though the story is well written, the prose is exceptionally dense and there's a lot of space taken up with details and events that have nothing to do with moving the story itself along...hence the plot gets bogged down in detail, and the reader is bored with yet another long-winded description or diversion from the characters and the mystery of who killed who and is impersonating another person. I think that some people feel that if a book is to be considered valuable, there must be strife and struggle in reading and comprehending the convoluted plot. Like you have to work for it to be a satisfied literary fiction reader. I think that's BS, personally, because enjoyment of a story for me isn't in the "countless tiny mysteries, and breathtaking little reveals" (they're not breathtaking, unless you count yawning) its in noble characters whom I come to understand and like, who have a fascinating story to reveal and who do so without unnecessary jumping through hoops or literary red tape. Becky Chamber's Monk and Robot series of short novels is an example of this...not a word is wasted, nor a paragraph fluffed with tiddly, fussy little details that ultimately have no meaning. The storyline here didn't get moving until the last 1/4th of the book, and the ending was sad and depressing. I'd give this tiresome tome a C, and only recommend it to those who want to have a peek inside the mind of an elderly woman with dementia.

Fox Creek by William Kent Krueger is a mystery disguised as literary fiction of the highest order. I've read three of Krueger's other novels and have yet to be disappointed by his beautiful and evocative prose that, combined with his sturdy and well-planned plots make for engrossing, page-turning reading. As with all of his other books, I could not put this tome down, and I read it until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. Here's the blurb:  

The New York Times bestselling Cork O’Connor Mystery Series returns with this “genuinely thrilling and atmospheric novel” (The New York Times Book Review) as Cork races against time to save his wife, a mysterious stranger, and an Ojibwe healer from bloodthirsty mercenaries.

The ancient Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux has had a vision of his death. As he walks the Northwoods in solitude, he tries to prepare himself peacefully for the end of his long life. But peace is destined to elude him as hunters fill the woods seeking a woman named Dolores Morriseau, a stranger who had come to the healer for shelter and the gift of his wisdom.
Meloux guides this stranger and his great niece, Cork O’Connor’s wife, to safety deep into the Boundary Waters, his home for more than a century. On the last journey he may ever take into this beloved land, Meloux must do his best to outwit the deadly mercenaries who follow.
Meanwhile, in Aurora, Cork works feverishly to identify the hunters and the reason for their relentless pursuit, but he has little to go on. Desperate, Cork begins tracking the killers but his own skills as a hunter are severely tested by nightfall and a late season snowstorm. He knows only too well that with each passing hour time is running out. But his fiercest enemy in this deadly game of cat and mouse may well be his own deep self-doubt about his ability to save those he loves.   

This is the 19th book in the Cork O'Connor Mystery series, and though I've not read most of the rest of them, I still have a strong sense of who Cork is, and how he operates among the Indigenous people/tribes that live on reservations in the "Northwoods" of a vaguely recognizable Minnesota. I appreciate that the Native peoples are represented in a postive light in all of Kreuger's books, and that his sleuth Cork is very much a proponent of the Native Americans in his area because he grew up with them. It's a rare peek inside of the working collaboration of Native Americans and enlightened law enforcement, such as it is (prejudice is still invasive in American society, folks). But I loved the foxy elder healer Meloux and how he managed to outrun and out think all the mercenaries that were out to get them. I don't want to spoil all the exciting plot points, so I'll just give this wonderful novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who has read any of Kruegers's other works. 

Rose & Thunder by Lilith Saintcrow is a paranormal romantic-retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story, complete with the crumbling castle, invisible servants and a brooding, lovelorn "beast" looking for someone to break his curse. There have been a number of YA and romantic fiction, even science fiction retellings of fairy tales lately (within the past 10-15 years), with varying degrees of success in both book form and on stage and screen. I think there's something about love redeeming a man who feels cursed by previous bad behavior and violence that speaks to people from any age, even in the 21st century. Here's the blurb: Isabella Harpe, last in a long line of witches, drifts with the wind. Her tarot cards always bring in enough to live on, and her instincts keep her mostly out of trouble. Unfortunately, bad boyfriends and even worse luck strand her near the most dangerous place for a witch to land--beside a cursed town, and an even more cursed man.

Jeremy Tremont's family built their house over an ancient place of power, turning it into an uneasy, rose-choked sanctuary for the weird and the dangerous alike. Scarred, quiet, and difficult, he's not Isabella's idea of a prospective employer, no matter how badly she needs the money. He's paying well, and there's only one catch: she has to be home by dusk. Because in Tremont City, bad things happen after nightfall.

Secrets hide in every corner, an ancient curse cloaks itself in silence, and Isabella's arrival has begun a deadly countdown. Despite that, she may have found a home--all she has to do is figure out how to break the curse. Oh, and survive in the dark.

Isabella seemed like an intensely vulnerable person with the carapice of cynic or a carnie, yet you could tell that she also had an intense longing for connection, for a place to call home permanently. Unfortunately, her curiosity lead her to make stupid and rash decisions, and she almost gets herself killed, only to be rescued by her "beast" Jeremy, whose disfigurement disguises his loving heart. Though there were some tropes and cliches that were thrown into the twisty plot, the delicious prose managed to smooth out the edges of the story arc so that the story itself remains seamless. I'd give this book a B, and recommend it to anyone who is a big fan of modernized Beauty and the Beast retellings.

Wayward Sky by Devon Monk is #3 in the Souls of the Road series, which I've been reading and loving since it's debut. But then, anything Monk writes is a joy to read, and my anticipation of each new book's debut is always high. Monk is one of my all time favorite writers because her prose is always clean, clear and yet still lush and evocative without being fussy, while her plots sail along on angel's wings, and her books are over before you know it. Her sense of timing, drama and comedy are always spot on. Add to that the mythology she creates that actually seems more authentic than Greco-Roman myths and legends and you know that you're in for a treat whenever you pick up a volume by Devon Monk, Portland's author extraordinare. Here's the blurb:

Brogan and Lula Gauge have spent a lifetime traveling Route 66, hunting the monsters that attacked them and left Brogan an earthbound spirit and Lula a near-vampire. They never wanted to catch the attention of Cupid, the god of connections and destruction. They never expected the god to want to strike a deal with them, either.  Cupid's deal brought Brogan back to life, but now they owe the god a favor. They must find the spell book of the gods. A book of magic so powerful, it could destroy the world.

The hunt for the book leads them down the Mother Road, across Kansas and Oklahoma, and straight into the sights of a seer who is not a seer, a healer who is not a healer, and a man from their past who carries a deadly secret.  But for a chance to finally have the life together they want, a life they were cheated out of years ago, Brogan and Lula will fight any monster, face any magic, and take on any foe.

Even if that foe is Death himself.

So if you have read any of the other two Souls of the Road books you know that this paranormal mystery/romance is rife with background from not on this series but also the Ordinary Oregon series, where we are treated to the vacation town of the Gods. In this book we get the chance for a bit of crossover action as Thannos, the god of death makes an appearance in his weird t-shirt with his kite-cum-sythe and all. For readers of the OO series, like myself, this was a huge thrill, and provided more insight into what the Gods are up to, even when supposedly on vacation. Meanwhile, Lula and Brogan are fighting to stay alive and complete their mission, while being handicapped by a horrible nightmare from the past. Inbetween the the behind-the-scenes drama, there's the beauty of Lula and Brogan's enduring love and their sweet adoptive family of misfits. I'm always excited to see how the rabbit of the moon is flourishing under the kind care of the Guages, so that provided an extra layer of poignency for me. Unfortunately, it also leaves me wanting more of Monks wonderful stories, so for now I'm having to be patient and wait to see what delights 2023 will wrest from her talented pen. I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone who has read the other two Souls of the Road books. 

Tracy Flick Can't Win Movie, Helen Trayler Obit, Even Though I Knew The End by C.L. Polk, Have I Told You This Already by Lauren Graham, Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan, A Wilderness of Stars by Shea Ernshaw and Rules of Redemption by T.A. White

Welcome book people, to the third week of the month, as we slide into the most wonderful time of the year, and celebrate the Winter Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah and at least a half dozen more winter festivals designed to make the dark, cold days seem brighter and warmer. I'm a big fan of the cold months of winter, mainly because they provide time for indoor activities like reading, writing and drinking tea in a cozy place under blankets...and when you're snowed in, the weather's a perfect excuse to procrastinate on all that housework/work and just take some time off to rest and read something entertaining. Meanwhile, I've been reading up a storm, so after some tidbits, I've got 5 reviews to share with you.

 

Though I'm not a huge Tom Perrotta fan, I am a fan of Reese Witherspoon adaptations, and this one looks to be a real winner!

 

Movies:  Tracy Flick Can't Win

 

Paramount Pictures will adapt Tracy Flick Can't Win, a new film for Paramount+ based on Tom Perrotta's latest novel. The project is a sequel to the 1999 film Election, an adaptation of Perrota's 1998 novel. Reese Witherspoon reprises her starring role as Tracy Flick, with Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants, Nebraska) returning to direct and co-write (with Jim Taylor) the screenplay.

Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter are producing for Hello Sunshine, alongside Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa of Bona Fide Productions. Perrotta is executive producing. Tracy Flick Can't Win was published by Scribner earlier this year.

Another book person whose life was cut short too soon, but who lived every moment well...RIP Ms Trayler

 

Obituary Note: Helen Trayler

Helen Trayler https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAnZwrgI6alhJEokSQ~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOC8PwpoMLg-gVdw, co-founder of Wordsworth Editions, has died, the Bookseller reported. She was 69. "Her reputation has and will always precede her; she was a savvy businesswoman, generous beyond compare, dignified and steadfast until the end," said her daughter, Nichola Trayler. "Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her will have an anecdote or story to tell; she was a character of epic proportion, and her absence will be felt far and wide both professionally and personally."

The company will remain a family-run business. Nichola Trayler is taking the helm and the rest of the Wordsworth team will "endeavor to ensure that Helen's legacy continues," she said, adding that her mother had "started at the bottom and rose to the top within the industry, beginning her journey when she was only 18 years of age. Helen co-founded Wordsworth Editions in 1987 alongside her late husband Michael Trayler; together they were the minds behind the original 1pound [about $1.25) classic, which launched in 1992.

"She, true to character, continued working throughout her diagnosis and treatment and never once waivered with regards to her love and commitment to Wordsworth. It gave her hope and focus, and through the pages of her beloved editions, her story and memory will live on."

Even Though I Knew The End by C.L. Polk is an intricate and taut noir Lesbian mystery/fantasy that is so engaging I read it all in one sitting. But then, all of Polk's novels, and I've read them all, from her Kingston Cycle on through the Midnight Bargain, are artfully constructed tomes of swanky velvet prose with a mambo-level plot that moves the characters along beautifully. This is one of those books that you start reading and then look up a few hours later and realize you've read it all the way through and not taken time to do anything else, like eat or go to the bathroom. Here's the blurb: “Eerie, sharp and fiercely bittersweet.” —The New York Times

A magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago's divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.

An exiled augur who sold her soul to save her brother's life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can't resist—the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves.

To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago's most notorious serial killer. If she fails, only hell and heartbreak await.

I agree with the NYT, in that this is a fiercely bittersweet novel, but in the same way that good dark chocolate is bittersweet...delicious and addictive. Helen is a real stand-up gal, and the love of her life, Edith, is naive and innocent, but the perfect foil to Helen's cynical gumshoe. Though he was a bit of an asshat, I even liked her brother and I loved, though she's evil through and through, Marlowe the demon/fallen angel, who was so delightfully snarky that I could actually picture her in my mind, looking like Desire from Neil Gaiman's Sandman streaming series (That blood red lipstick! Those cheekbones! That beguiling gaze!). I don't want to spoil anything in this short and snappy novel, so I'll just give it a well-deserved A and recommend it to anyone with a pulse.

Have I Told You This Already by Lauren Graham is yet another collection of memoir-ish essays by the chatty, amusing and always interesting actress who portrayed Lorelei Gilmore from the acclaimed TV series Gilmore Girls, (BTW I loved Gilmore Girls, and wish to heck that they'd do another series so we could find out who the father of Rory's baby is, (I'm team Logan all the way!) and what happens when she takes over the Stars Hollow newspaper) and is also famous for about 4 other TV/movie roles. I've read a couple of her other books (one fiction, one another book of amusing essays) and I'm sorry to say that this non fiction text breaks no new ground here...it's just more odds and ends from Graham's fish-out-of-water life as a child and in Hollywood. Here's the blurb:

From the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and the New York Times bestselling author of Talking as Fast as I Can comes an “insightful, honest, funny, and moving collection of captivating stories” (BuzzFeed).

Lauren Graham has graced countless television screens with her quick-witted characters and hilarious talk show appearances, earning a reputation as a pop culture icon who always has something to say. In her latest book, Have I Told You This Already?, Graham combines her signature sense of humor with down-to-earth storytelling. Graham shares personal stories about her life and career—from her early days spent pounding the pavement while waitressing in New York City, to living on her aunt’s couch during her first Los Angeles pilot season, to thoughts on aging gracefully in Hollywood.

In “R.I.P. Barneys New York” Graham writes about an early job as a salesperson at the legendary department store (and the time she inadvertently shoplifted from it); in “Ryan Gosling Cannot Confirm,” she attempts to navigate the unspoken rules of Hollywood hierarchies; in “Boobs of the ’90s” she worries her bras haven’t kept up with the times; and in “Actor-y Factory” she recounts what a day in the life of an actor looks like (unless you’re Brad Pitt). 

Filled with surprising anecdotes, sage advice, and laugh-out-loud observations, these all-new, original essays showcase the winning charm and wry humor that have delighted Graham’s millions of fans.

Though I loved her first collection of essays, this new collection doesn't break any new ground, and felt more than a bit stale after the first chapter. Still, Graham is nothing if not charming, so even stale bread tastes good when you're in good company. So I'd give this okay but not great book a B, and recommend it to anyone who is looking for an amusing distraction while they're traveling or in the waiting room at the doctor's office.

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan is a so-called "women's fiction" novel that is really a contemporary romance that they wanted a broader market for, or the author is a snob who doesn't want to be considered a romance genre writer, and asked her publishers to put her in the category formerly known as "chick lit." Sigh. Despite, or maybe because of that, this novel surprised me in how engrossing it became as a story. Though I will never understand why English women/Characters are so timid, slavish and self-effacing, I did love the fact that the female protagonist, "Swan" is disabled by only having one eye after a bizarre accident where she shoved her face into the propeller of an airplane after a successful tandem skydive (Seriously? Who comes up with this stuff?). Disabled people are rarely represented in romance novels, especially the female protagonists, who are almost always perfect petite blondes with perky boobs. This was a refreshing change from that, though of course they had to make her otherwise perfect with an amazing body and half a gorgeous face. Sigh, again. But the prose was zingy and tart, while the plot moved along breathlessly, so there was little time to dawdle over details like institutionalized misogyny. Here's the blurb:

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams (editors note: Seriously? Lost SIGHT of her dreams because she only has one working eye? Ugh...that was cheap, blurber...also, it's not a "tragic" accident if she did it to herself, it's a STUPID accident) after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger. 

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her. 

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

I have to say as the coincidences mounted, I knew what was coming at the end, and it read more and more like a YA romance novel that would make teenagers giggle. Swan and Nick/Brock are quite a pair, both damaged and afraid to move forward with their lives and open their hearts to love. The fact that a grandma and her crazy nursing home cohorts manage to show the youngsters the way to really live life was pretty sweet and satisfying as a plot point. Though I don't like audiobooks, I thoroughly enjoyed this peek behind the curtains of audiobook narration, and the actors who work so hard to bring characters to life just through the power of their voice. I'd give this book a B-, and recommend it to anyone who loves audiobooks and actors and second chance romance.

A Wilderness of Stars by Shea Ernshaw is a YA speculative fiction/romance (I refuse to call it science fiction if there's only one spaceship at the end with one lifepod, and knowledge of it's existence has been handed down as mythological lore from generations of women as almost religious superstition) that had prose that dawdled and was redundant, as well as a plodding plot. Add to that a weak, stupid female protagonist, and you have one of those books that I wish I could return to Amazon, because it was a waste of my time. Here's the blurb:

In this magical romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Long Live the Pumpkin Queen, an illness cursing the land forces a teen girl astronomer to venture across the wilderness in search of the stars’ message that will, hopefully, save them all.

When all is lost, look to the stars.

Vega has lived in the valley her whole life—forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But when Vega sees an omen in the sky—one she cannot ignore—she is forced to leave the protective boundaries of the valley. Yet the outside world is much more terrifying than Vega could have ever imagined. People are gravely sick—they lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives.

But Vega has a secret: she is the Last Astronomer—a title carried from generation to generation—and she is the only one who understands the knowledge of the stars. Knowledge that could hold the key to a cure. So when locals spot the tattoo on Vega’s neck in the shape of a constellation—the mark of an astronomer—chaos erupts. Fearing for her life, Vega is rescued by a girl named Cricket who leads her to Noah, a boy marked by his own mysterious tattoos.

On the run from the men hunting her, Vega sets out across the plains with Cricket and Noah, in search of a fabled cure kept secret by the astronomers. But as the line between friends and protectors begins to blur, Vega must decide whether to safeguard the sacred knowledge of the astronomers…or if she will risk everything to try to save them all.

Though Vega has been told repeatedly by both her parents that people outside her village are desperate and dangerous, and that she needs to be cautious, the first time she gets away from her village (after burning down her house, so her adoptive father can't leave her behind because she has nowhere else to go) she immediately puts her father and herself in mortal danger and continues to make really stupid, impulsive decisions throughout the novel...she never learns from her mistakes. She also uses people along the way and gets many people killed with her reckless idiocy. When she finally falls in love with some poor masochistic guy, she suddenly regrets, in hindsight, being the cause of so much death and destruction, but by now, it's too late. She's also weak willed and relies on everyone else to get her out of the trouble that she gets herself in. I kept finding myself thinking "What a ninny! What does Noah see in her?" And to top it all off, the ending is a huge cliffhanger. Gee, thanks, Whelan, for making sure everyone but Vega dies, and then saying "But wait! Maybe there's a way to "retcon" this situation...but that's a story for another day!" Really? I don't plan on wasting time or money on the sequel to this disappointing hodge podge of a book. I'd give it a C, and recommend it to those who like dumb female protagonists and cursory love stories.

Rules of Redemption by T.A. White is a science fiction/romance/fantasy hybrid that read like a combination of  Game of Thrones and Syne Mitchell's Murphy's Gambit with some Dungeons and Dragons and the movie Alien's "space marines" thrown in for good measure. There's a lot of fan service here for those who like kick-butt (former military) female protagonists with a past. I was surprised at how much I actually liked this book, though the plot had a few holes and the prose was slightly wonky in spots (for the most part, though, it was clean and full of witty banter). Here's the blurb:

The war everyone thought was over is just beginning.

Kira Forrest is a survivor. She’s risen above the pain of her beginnings to become a war hero only to leave it all behind in the pursuit of a simple life. Now a salvager, she makes a living sifting through the wreckage of dead alien ships from a war that nearly brought humanity to its knees.

After her ship takes damage, she’s forced to re-route to a space station where her past and present collide with dangerous consequences.

Kira’s existence holds the key to a faltering peace treaty with the Tuann—a technologically advanced alien race who dislikes and distrusts all humans. Winning her freedom should be easy, but a powerful and relentless Tuann warrior stands in her way. Deceiving him seems impossible, especially when he strays dangerously close to secrets she struggles to hide.

Can Kira reconcile the pain of her past with the possibilities of her future? The fate of two races depends on her success.

I hesitate to point out that the protagonist's name is also the name of the fiery red-headed major Kira Nerys of Star Trek Deep Space 9. The Kira from this book shares some traits with Nerys, but not enough that Paramount will come calling with a cease and desist order anytime soon, so well done, T.A. White! Way to skirt those IP lawyers! Though I enjoyed learning about the "Curs" her unit from when she was a big deal in the military (and when she left the military behind, because REASONS, people!) I'm not a big fan of military science fiction, though I do love John Scalzi's Old Man's War series. But for the most part, battles, armor, military hierarchy, etc, bores me to tears. I did like the "magical" traits that Kira exhibited, and I was hoping for more of that and less of her mooning over the big strong alien dudes who probably didn't have her best interests at heart until the final chapters of the book. All, in all, though, this was a fun, fast read that was worth the small price I paid for it. I'd give it a B- and recommend it to fans of DS9 and other military science fiction with female protagonists.

We Are the Lucky Ones Comes to TV, Griffin Bay Bookstore Changes Hands, The Pale Blue Eye Movie, Michelle Yeoh in Film version of Wicked, Obit of Marijane Meaker, Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen, The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick and Merlin the Magical Fluff by Molly Fitz

Happy Holidays to all my fellow bibliophiles/bibliophages! I'm a bit late in posting this, but yesterday was my 62nd birthday and I didn't want to sit at my desk, I wanted to get out and shop for books, purses, pens, etc...and have lunch and boba tea with my son. So that is what we did, and it kept us busy all afternoon/evening. And I ate vegan doughnuts for breakfast! YUM! Anyway, I have a lot of books to review, so hang on, it's a sleigh ride from here on out!

I read this book and, though it's not really a book you can enjoy because the subject matter is so dire and painful, it was still riveting reading.

TV: We Were The Lucky Ones

Hulu's limited series We Were the Lucky Ones https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAmPxuQI6alhI011Ew~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOXcespoMLg-gVdw, based on Georgia Hunter's 2017 novel, is adding Amit Rahav (Unorthodox), Eva Feiler (The Crown) and Hadas Yaron (Mary Magdalene) to the cast. The project "is inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive and to reunite," Deadline reported. Joey King (The Act) stars, along with Robin Weigert and Lior Ashkenazi.

The series is executive produced and written by Erica Lipez (Julia, The Morning Show), who also serves as showrunner. Thomas Kail (Fosse/Verdon) directs and executive produces, along with Jennifer Todd (for Old 320 Sycamore). Adam Milch executive produces and Hunter will co-executive produce.

Though I've only seen this bookstore from afar, I think it's great that it has changed ownership and is still going strong!

Griffin Bay Bookstore, Friday Harbor, Wash., Changes Hands

Mae Cannon has purchased Griffin Bay Bookstore https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAmPwb4I6alhIhkgHg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOXcD2poMLg-gVdw in Friday Harbor, Wash., from previous \owner Laura Norris and officially took over this week.

Norris ran the 43-year-old independent bookstore on San Juan Island for 16 years and was its third owner. In a statement announcing the change, Norris explained that she is "leaving Griffin Bay Bookstore steeped in the confidence that its future is secure in the hands of new owner Mae Cannon. She is a devoted bibliophile with a wide breadth of talents and expertise which will suit the bookstore and reading community well.

"It has been my honor to serve the island community which I grew up in and love so much for these past 16 years, but I know the time has come to welcome in the next generation and I trust that all of you will join me in supporting Griffin Bay Bookstore's new owner, Mae."

Cannon, a book lover who has had a lifelong dream of opening a bookstore, moved to San Juan Island several years ago with her husband and has "loved Griffin Bay Bookstore" since her first visit. Her first day at the bookstore was December 6.

I salute Laura Norris for her years of running the bookstore, and I am grateful to learn from her expertise as I embark on this new adventure."Many of the bookstore's staff members will stay on and "business will continue uninterrupted as usual. Rest assured, all gift certificates will be honored and special orders fulfilled."

I look forward to movies like this because EA Poe fascinates me. Though I imagine there will be too much horror/gore in the movie for me to watch it all the way through, I still hope that Poe finally gets his due in this film.

Movies: The Pale Blue Eye

Netflix released a trailer for The Pale Blue Eye https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAmPwb4I6alhIhh3Hg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOXcD2poMLg-gVdw, based on Louis Bayard's 2006 novel "that acts as an origin story of sorts of Edgar Allan Poe," Deadline reported. Adapted and directed by Scott Cooper, the film stars Christian Bale and hits select theaters December 23 before landing on the streamer beginning January 6. Cooper and Bale previously teamed on Out of the Furnace and Hostiles.

The cast also includes Henry Melling, Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey, Simon McBurney, Hadley Robinson, Timothy Spall, Joey Brooks, Brennan Cook, Gideon Glick, Fred Hechinger, Matt Helm, Jack Irving, Steven Maier, Charlie Tahan and Robert Duvall.

 Michelle Yeoh is freaking amazing, and I first saw her in Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon and then saw several other movies she was in, until she lit up the screen in Star Trek Discovery as Emperor/Captain Georgiou. I imagine she will do the same in Wicked.

Book to Stage to Screen: Wicked

Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians) has joined the cast of the upcoming two-part film version of the hit Broadway musical Wicked https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAmAku0I6alhIhxzTA~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOUpOlpoMLg-gVdw, which was adapted from Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Playbill reported. She will play Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University.

Jeff Goldblum has also been confirmed to star as the Wizard of Oz in the film, which is headlined by Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, with Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero and Ethan Slater as Boq.

Wicked will include new songs by Stephen Schwartz, with book writer Winnie Holzman penning the screenplay and Paul Tazewell designing the costumes. The Universal Pictures films are set for release on Christmas in 2024 and 2025.

I read several of this author's works when she was writing as ME Kerr, and I was saddened to read of her passing, though she obviously lead a full life of activism for lesbians. RIP.

Obituary Note: Marijane Meaker

Marijane Meaker https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAnZle4I6alhJBsiEg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOC5SmpoMLg-gVdw, "a versatile and prolific author whose 1952 novel, Spring Fire, was among the first lesbian-themed paperback originals and sold so briskly that it jump-started the genre of lesbian pulp fiction," died November 21, the New York Times reported. She was 95.

Meaker, who wrote dozens of books in multiple genres under several pen names, told NPR in 2003: "I like pseudonyms. I like disguises. I've always hated the name Marijane. And I think the idea that you can name yourself is interesting." Another reason for the strategy was that when she arrived in New York she couldn't get an agent, and so she became one, with a roster of clients that consisted of her pseudonymous selves.

"All of my clients were me," she recalled. "And I would take people out to lunch and tell them about my clients. And nobody knew that I was all my clients."

As M.E. Kerr, she wrote YA novels and was regarded as "a pioneer in realistic fiction for teenagers," as the Young Adult Library Services Association said in presenting her with its Margaret A. Edwards Award in 1993. As Ann Aldrich, she wrote nonfiction books that chronicled lesbian life in Greenwich Village and beyond, including We Walk Alone (1955) and We, Too, Must Love (1958). As Mary James, she wrote quirky books aimed at younger children, like Shoebag (1990).

Her books under her own name included Highsmith: A Romance of the 1950s (2003), about her two-year relationship with the author Patricia Highsmith. She was one of three main interviewees for the recent documentary film Loving Highsmith the Guardian noted, "and on the promotional tour she belied her 93 years with spirited and telling reminiscences."

"But the work that put her on the map and may have had as much impact as any of the others was Spring Fire, published by Gold Medal Books under the name Vin Packer, which Ms. Meaker later used for a series of suspense novels," the Times wrote. The book, which is said to have sold 1.5 million copies, was about a college freshman who falls in love with one of her sorority sisters and "spoke to a significant segment of women who, in the early 1950s, were not seeing themselves in fiction."

Among the writers who followed Meaker into the new world was Ann Bannon, whose books include Odd Girl Out (1957), I Am a Woman (1959) and several others the series known as the Beebo Brinker Chronicles. Noting that Spring Fire was a ground-breaker, Bannon said, "Meaker had in fact founded a new genre, lesbian pulp fiction, which was to become for a stretch of about 15 years wildly successful, and a moneymaker. It was finding fans among both sexes, and coast to coast, pushing same-sex romance into conversational orbit for the first time in history."

Meaker was uncomfortable with the ending of Spring Fire. The Times noted that the Postal Service then "was on the lookout for anything that seemed to glorify what its censors thought of as perversion. So publishers made sure she and other lesbian writers gave their stories unhappy endings."

"Which," said Robin Talley, a queer author of YA books, "is why in Spring Fire, one of the women in the central romance winds up in an asylum and the other becomes straight and forgets she ever liked girls to begin with.... Still, Spring Fire and the novels it influenced were what caused a whole generation of queer women to see themselves represented for the first time."

In 1974, Meaker told the New York Times she was drawn to the YA genre by the conviction that teenagers were "entitled to honest, up-to-date good stories with characters their own age to relate to--books that are about them and what bothers them, not about their parents.... This is the age when kids are going through great emotional upheavals. And they are looking for truths. But until young adult novels started growing up, five years ago or so, they couldn't find books about themselves, about their feelings, their problems."

My Reviews:

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher is a revamped fairy tale that has elements of horror, fantasy and romance, blended together to create a short but intricate story that grips the reader and will not let them go. That said, I had trouble getting into this book initially, I read the first few pages, which are grim and gross, and put the book down until I was in a better frame of mind to read it. I tried again later, but found that I still couldn't get past the Frankenstein-esque dog revival in the cemetery. But, third time was the charm, and once I was past the first 7 or so pages, the paragraphs flew by. Here's the blurb: From Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes an original and subversive fantasy adventure.

This isn't the kind of fairytale where the princess marries a prince.
It's the one where she kills him.

Marra never wanted to be a hero.

As the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter, she escaped the traditional fate of princesses, to be married away for the sake of an uncaring throne. But her sister wasn’t so fortunate―and after years of silence, Marra is done watching her suffer at the hands of a powerful and abusive prince.

Seeking help for her rescue mission, Marra is offered the tools she needs, but only if she can complete three seemingly impossible tasks:
―build a dog of bones
―sew a cloak of nettles
―capture moonlight in a jar

But, as is the way in tales of princes and witches, doing the impossible is only the beginning.

Hero or not―now joined by a disgraced ex-knight, a reluctant fairy godmother, an enigmatic gravewitch and her fowl familiar―Marra might finally have the courage to save her sister, and topple a throne.

Had I realized this was a tale of a sister seeking to free her sister from an abusive contractual marriage (she's being abused and used as a broodmare for this nightmare of a prince) in an inventive way, I would have powered through those first grim pages much faster. This story is creepy, there's no doubt about it, but there is also a great deal of love and kindness underneath the dark debris, and Kingfisher doesn't let even a whisper of an unnecessary word or sentence pass her by in this slender volume. The plot is taut and beautifully rendered. I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to those who like their fairy tales dark and their heroines grim but determined to save the day.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen was a surprisingly rich and funny romantic fantasy that also had some dark gothic elements and mystery swirled in for good measure. I adored the prose, which was juicy without being decadent and overly detailed, and the plot was strong and swift. But it's the characters of Hart and Mercy and their slow burning love for each other that really captivated me and held my attention all through the book. Here's the blurb: "A uniquely charming mixture of whimsy and the macabre that completely won me over. If you ever wished for an adult romance that felt like Howl's Moving Castle, THIS IS THAT BOOK." —Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.  

Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest. 

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.  

If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most—Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares—each other?

Set in a world full of magic and demigods, donuts and small-town drama, this enchantingly quirky, utterly unique fantasy is perfect for readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Invisible Library.

Having read and loved both the Invisible Library series and The House on the Cerulean Sea, I should have known this book would be warm and wonderful from beginning to end. It was certainly a page turner that had me reading into the wee hours. The characters were so vivid, in fact, that the book played out like a movie in my mind, and I could see each situation and feel each heartbreak and moment of joy when the two protagonists found each other anonymously through letters. Though the ending was sweet, there's nothing cloying or cliched about the romance between Mercy and Hart. I don't want to spoil any of this delightful volume for you, so I'll just give it a well deserved A, and recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a bit of the macabre with their romance.

The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick was a contemporary romantic mystery work that seemed like a BBC movie/series written into a book. I've read two of Patrick's other books, (The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper and The Library of Lost and Found) and though her prose is always sturdy and neat as a pin, her plots tend to meander and her female protagonists always loathe themselves and seem to lack spine, talent or wit enough to move forward with their lives and stop being a doormat who slaves 24/7 for ungrateful family members. Here's the blurb:
The house cleaner of a famous author must carry out her employer's shocking last wish in this delightful new novel from beloved author Phaedra Patrick

Mother of two Liv Green barely scrapes by as a maid to make ends meet, often finding escape in a good book while daydreaming of becoming a writer herself. So she can't believe her luck when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero, mega-bestselling author Essie Starling, a mysterious and intimidating recluse. The last thing Liv expected was to be the only person Essie talks to, which leads to a tenuous friendship.

When Essie passes away suddenly, Liv is astonished to learn that her dying wish was for Liv to complete her final novel. But to do so Liv will have to step into Essie’s shoes. As Liv begins to write, she uncovers secrets from the past that reveal a surprising connection between the two women—one that will change Liv’s own story forever.

Like most of the British women in Patrick's books, Liv does all the household chores, cooks, cleans, has a job cleaning and still manages to keep her family on track for appointments, etc, though they don't show her a bit of gratitude or respect. In fact, her husband and son are greedy whiny babies who seem be unable to wipe their own arses without Liv, who finds that their constant criticism of her, along with her own low self-esteem, stalls her quest to become a writer. Liv also has zero spine or gumption until near the end of the book, and she constantly worries about keeping a secret from her family, as if she owes them a thing after the way they've treated her like a slave over the decades. I found Liv's fussy timidity very frustrating, and for that reason alone I'd give this book a B-. I can't really recommend it to all and sundry, because Liv's story was rather depressing. But if you like heroines who are masochists, you may like this book.

Merlin the Magical Fluff by Molly Fitz was a cheap ebook cozy magical mystery, starring a very arrogant cat named Merlin. This short, self published book was a cheap and easy read on my Kindle Paperwhite, where the entire book read like a bad script from the CW. Here's the blurb:
My name is Gracie Springs, and I am not a witch… but I’m pretty sure my cat is.

I first started to get suspicious when he jumped just a little too high while chasing after a robin in our front yard. I knew for sure when he opened up his mouth and addressed me by name!

The first thing he told me? That he doesn’t like the name I gave him—even though “Fluffy” fits him like a warm sweater at Christmas. Now we’ve compromised on “Merlin the Magical Fluff,” which according to him references his long and proud lineage just fine.

After that small matter was settled, he informed me that I must uphold his secret or risk spending the rest of my life in some magical prison. I agreed, not knowing it would turn into a full-time job of covering his tracks and fibbing our way out of some pretty tight spots.

When my boss at the local coffee shop turns up dead as a dormouse, things go from challenging to practically impossible… especially since all my coworkers seem to think I’m to blame.
Here’s hoping my witchy cat can charm our way out of this one, because right now it looks like I’m cursed if I do and charged with murder if I don’t. Yikes! 

If this book isn't classified as YA, it should be, because the prose is chatty and cute, and the characters cartoonish. The plot is easily understood, and you will know whodunnit by page 5. I really didn't like the protagonist with a name that sounds like a town in Maryland, mainly because she seemed simple and stupid. I also didn't like Merlin the cat, who was downright cruel and arrogant, as well as bossy and ruthless. Though I didn't waste much money on it, I don't think I will be revisiting this author's work ever again. I'd give this short, odd book a C, and only recommend it to those who like their light reading to be so light and fluffy it floats, just like Merlin the mouthy magical cat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robin McKinley is SFWA Grand Master, Sinful Wallflowers Comes to TV, The Great Gatsby on Stage, You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Whispers of Warning by Jessica Estevao, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers and Duty by Lilith Saintcrow

Greetings snowbound folks! Merry December to all book lovers and friends! This is my favorite month of the year, and we're only a week away from my birthday on December 12!  There's also Christmas, of course, and Boxing Day and New Year's Eve, all great celebrations, and now that I'm negative for COVID 19 (FINALLY!!) I will be able to participate more fully in the celebrations. Of course I plan to get some new books for my birthday, so I've been feverishly trying to clear some of my TBR off the shelves so I have space for the new stuff. Hence, my review of 5 books in this post, which will be longer than usual...sorry about that! So lets get started with some tidbits, followed by reviews.

I've been reading Robin McKinley's books since I was a teenager, about the same time I started reading Patricia McKillip's gorgeous fantasy novels...they were recommended as being similar, and though both authors produced beautiful fantasy novels filled with lush and gorgeous prose, McKinley's books spanned more genres than McKillips, with her science fiction and science fiction/fantasy, gothic fantasy and YA fantasy books. She's an amazing writer/author, and deeply deserving of the Grand Master Award. Congratulations!

Awards: Robin McKinley Named SFWA Grand Master

Robin McKinley has been named the 39th Grand Master https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAmLkb4I6aliJEsiGw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOWZD2poMLg-gVdw by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, which lauded her as "one of the leading writers of the modern fairy-tale retelling genre, and indeed, her debut Beauty, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, could be said to have started the fairy-tale retelling trend. She is also celebrated for her original fantasy novels. Her 1982 book The Blue Sword received the Newbery Honor, and its 1984 prequel The Hero and the Crown was awarded the Newbery Medal.... Her 1985 anthology Imaginary Lands won the World Fantasy Award, and Water, the 2002 collection she co-wrote with Peter Dickinson, was later nominated as well."

McKinley's other works include Sunshine (2003), a dark sensual vampire fairy tale that won the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature and was named to NPR's "Top 100 Science-Fiction Fantasy Books" list and Tor.com's list of "Best SFF Novels of the Decade." Spindle's End, McKinley's Sleeping Beauty retelling, was named one of Time Magazine's "100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time" in 2020.

SFWA president Jeffe Kennedy commented: "I read McKinley's Deerskin in my late 20s and it turned my world upside-down. From there I went on to read everything McKinley has written. With every story, each book, she haunts, delights, and enlightens me. Naming an author who's been such a profound influence on me as both a reader and a writer as SFWA's newest Grand Master is one of the greatest privileges of my life."

This looks to be an utterly delicious adaptation. I hope Netflix picks it up.

 

TV: Sinful Wallflowers

Sinful Wallflowers, a series of three historical romances (My Darling Duke, Her Wicked Marquess, A Scoundrel of Her Own) by Stacy Reid, is being adapted for television by Sologne Angelique Productions. Sologne Schumacher, the company's CEO and executive producer on the project, will work with Reid to create the TV series and is currently seeking a streaming partner.

 

"Our company's mission is amplifying the voices of historically excluded creators, and given Stacy Reid's gifts as a storyteller, we knew she was someone we wanted to work with," Schumacher said. "When I read the Sinful Wallflowers series, I knew these were characters the world needed to see." Schumacher's production team includes co-producer Leon Jones and producer/composer Marla Harvey, whose most recent work has been purchased by ESPN/Disney.

 

Stacy Cantor Abrams, editorial director of Entangled Publishing and Reid's editor, added: "The Sinful Wallflowers books are bestsellers and fan favorites out of Reid's entire backlist, meaning they represent the very pinnacle of historical romance. Now, we'll get a chance to see these exceptional plots and characters transformed for the medium of television. It's always an exciting process, and I'm confident these books will adapt particularly well."

 

Though this is not my favorite of Fitzgerald's works (Tender is the Night is a better novel on every level, IMO), I'd still really love to see what they do with the text as a musical.

On Stage: The Great Gatsby

A private industry reading of a musical stage adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel The Great Gatsby https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscAmNleUI6alicU8gSw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6jOX5StpoMLg-gVdw, which entered the public domain in 2021, will be presented later this month, Playbill reported. A regional bow is expected during the 2023-24 season.

Directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), the project features music and lyrics by Tony nominees Nathan Tysen (Paradise Square) and Jason Howland (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) and a book by Kait Kerrigan (The Mad Ones). Chunsoo Shin, "one of the most influential producers in Korea's theatre industry, will produce the Broadway-aimed musical with Mark Shacket as executive producer," Playbill noted.

The musical is one of many Gatsby adaptations in the works, including rock star Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine), Thomas Bartlett, and Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok collaborating on a musical stage adaptation; and Immersive Everywhere's interactive production, created and directed by Alexander Wright, which will begin March 9, 2023, at Park Central Hotel New York, transforming the 16,000 square foot ballroom into the Gatsby mansion.

You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo is a delightful science fiction comedy that I would love to see made into a TV sitcom series by someone. The premise is somewhat absurd and the action fairly constant, but Rambo's neat and tidy prose gets the fast-moving plot going at a sustainable speed for most of the book (it really hits lightspeed toward the end). Here's the blurb:

Farscape meets The Great British Bake Off in this fantastic space opera You Sexy Thing from former SFWA President, Cat Rambo.

Just when they thought they were out…

TwiceFar station is at the edge of the known universe, and that’s just how Niko Larson, former Admiral in the Grand Military of the Hive Mind, likes it.

Retired and finally free of the continual war of conquest, Niko and the remnants of her former unit are content to spend the rest of their days working at the restaurant they built together, The Last Chance.

But, some wars can’t ever be escaped, and unlike the Hive Mind, some enemies aren’t content to let old soldiers go. Niko and her crew are forced onto a sentient ship convinced that it is being stolen and must survive the machinations of a sadistic pirate king if they even hope to keep the dream of The Last Chance alive.

This is more Farscape meets I Love Lucy, in my opinion, but still, Niko and her crew of weird and wonderful aliens are a delight not to be missed. I don't know where Rambo has been all my life, but from now on, as with all other authors whose works inspire, entertain, enlighten and inform me, I will seek out whatever she's written and purchase it for my TBR with all due haste. Seriously, her characters are full bodied and believable, and the story arc here is fun and outrageous but clearly grounded in present day sociological realities, like the growing divide between the ultra rich wankers and the abjectly poor downtrodden working class. BTW, the whole time I was reading this book, every time they'd use the name of the bio-ship (which was self aware) You Sexy Thing, I'd hear the Hot Chocolate song "You Sexy Thing" playing on full volume in my head! ("I believe in miracles...you sexy thing, you!" Insert funky bass line here). I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone who likes Star Trek for it's prescient science fiction and it's mirror to our current society.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a modern literary fiction with a romantic through-line and some of the most intriguing characters I've ever encountered in a novel (Hello Marcellus!). It takes place on a fictional island in the Puget Sound area, and the protagonist, Tova Sullivan, is acerbic, witty, fussy and fascinating as she makes her nightly perambulations around the Sowell aquarium cleaning everything down to a shine. When she finally encounters charming screw up Cameron, who really needs to just grow up already, the two develop a relationship, and a lot of twists and turns in the plot start coming at readers with the ferocity of a tsunami. This is not a book that is easy to put down (so I didn't, and read it in one sitting), and though my library book group won't be reading it until November of next year, I'm glad that I got my copy in September. Here's the blurb:

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. 

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

Grief and abandonment aside, Tova and Cameron soon discover that found family will always make room for you in their hearts and in their town. Small town folks have a way of taking in strays and helping them put down roots and flourish, as well as allowing those who have lost their family members to tragedy to start over and make a new life wherever they are in their journey, age-wise. But oh, Marcellus, you sly and divine octopus, you...what a wonderful, brilliant creature you are! I literally could have read a whole novel full of Marcellus's ramblings about humans and other sea creatures, ones that are food and ones that are friends. Fantastic prose that charms and is deceptively simple, pairs with a plot that moves faster than Marcellus on a mission to make for a book that you won't want to end. I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys odd characters and witty writing.

Whispers of Warning by Jessica Estevao is a historical romantic mystery that I bought for my Kindle Paperwhite for a really reasonable price. I wasn't expecting a lot from this novel, and wasn't surprised that the plot dragged a bit in several places. But the prose was sterling and clean, and I liked the protagonist who was strong despite being constantly crushed in her ambitions by the staunch patriarchy at the end of the 19th century (1890s belle epoque). Here's the blurb: Ruby Proulx’s new life in Orchard Beach, Maine, faces some sinister complications in the next Change of Fortune Mystery by Jessica Estevao.

Free from the clutches of her con artist father, Ruby Proulx is starting to settle in at the Belden, her aunt Honoria’s seaside hotel. She loves finally being rooted in one place and also feels a sense of purpose as she helps Honoria keep her business afloat by acting as a psychic medium for the hotel’s metaphysically inclined guests.
 
When one of the guests, renowned Spiritualist and outspoken suffragist Sophronia Foster Eldridge, checks into the hotel for a monthlong stay, Ruby finds her sense of purpose expands outside the confines of home and family. Sophronia takes Ruby under her wing and mentors her in the mediumistic abilities, encouraging her to fight for women’s rights.
 
But not everyone is as happy with Sophronia’s appearance in Old Orchard. When a dangerous act of sabotage is carried out and a body is found floating in the pool of a local bathhouse, Ruby takes it upon herself to find answers— and in the process learns that her new friend has been hiding some deadly secrets of her own.

I found the intrigue of Sophronia's psychic audio gift to be very interesting, especially in light of her fellow "magical" fortune tellers in the hotel, many of whom are charlatans. What I didn't like was Sophronia's pathetic weakness in the face of anything even remotely dangerous or contentious. I kept wanting to shake her by the shoulders and tell her to get a backbone, already.  Alls well that ends well, however, and by the end Sophronia can hold her own. I'd give this densely written mystery a B-, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in the spiritualist movement and the sufferagist movement of the late 19th century.  

 
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers is the second book in the Monk and Robot series, and I was pleasantly surprised that Chambers managed to continue to make this charming duo and their long perambulating journey one that draws you in like wolves to a campfire. I honestly wasn't sure if Chambers could keep the innocence of Mosscap the robot and the tired cynicism of Sibling Dex the tea monk going in an interesting fashion, but not only is this sophomore effort engrossing and delightful, it's fully as fascinating as the first novel where we meet this unlikely duo and see them on the first leg of their journey of self discovery. Here's the blurb: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is a story of kindness and love from one of the foremost practitioners of hopeful SF.

After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.

They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.

Becky Chambers's new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?

Chamber's prose here is crisp and evocative, while her plot sails along like a gliding seagull. I really appreciated her extra detailed touches that outlined the world of Panga, from it's government to it's currency (called Pebs, they're kept track of in order for people to barter goods and services) to it's educational system for children. And, as usual, Mosscap's innocent view of the human world and it's philosophical conundrums is priceless and sobering...it really made me think about what we as a species want of our lives, and what we as individuals are willing to give up to achieve what we want or what we think we want to make our lives whole. Also, reading the books in this series always makes me want multiple cups of tea! I'd give this short but well written entry into the series an A, and recommend it to anyone who wonders about the intersection of AI with humanity.

Duty (Ghost Squad 2) by Lilith Saintcrow was a military romance that had just a bit too much horror/abuse mixed in for my taste. Oddly enough, having read many of Saintcrows other books/series, I was surprised by the choppy prose and uneven plot that dragged on with description after background description until I was bored to tears. This is unlike Saintcrow, whose works are usually full of action-packed sequences wherein her female protagonists kick arse and take names. Not so with Duty, where the female protagonist cowers and falls prey to victim mentality and extreme self loathing to become the "damsel in distress" that the male protagonist lusts after and wants to protect at all costs. Why he finds this pathetic woman who is too thin and beaten half to death boner-and-drool worthy is beyond me. It made him seem dog-like and stupid. Anyway, here's the blurb:

Old flames burn the hottest…

Granite Falls has secrets, and some of them are deadly. After nearly dying on his team's last mission, Paul Klemperer is heading home for the first time since signing up for the Army. His hometown's grown a little. The inhabitants are older. And life has moved on, but some things are still the same. Like the way he feels about the girl he left behind—who ended up marrying someone else.

Beck Sommers has a divorce in the works; if she can just hold on, she'll be able to leave this godforsaken town. Unfortunately, her soon-to-be-ex-husband has other ideas. Her first love Paul has returned as well, making things even more complicated. And then there's the corruption, the drugs…and murder. Beck's determined to fix what's gone wrong, but she has no idea how deep the corruption goes. And Paul? Well, he's a little behind on the local news, but one thing's for sure—he's not letting Beck get away this time.

First, though, he'll have to keep her alive.

In the end, it read like Beck just exchanged one domineering, controlling, over protective man for another. Paul seemed determined to cage Beck up for himself, just in a nicer, more friendly way, without beatings. I don't think that's any healthier for a grown woman than being in thrall to an abuser. What Beck really needed was to get a divorce and get away from all men and learn to love herself and esteem/respect herself before she starts looking for another relationship. Also, the lack of the good witty dialog that Saintcrow is known for was disturbing. All in all, a big disappointment of a novel. I'd give it a C+ and only recommend it to those who have fantasies about being rescued by some huge military dude with White Knight Syndrome.