Brrrr! Its a cold and rainy day here in the PNW, and I'm trying to stay warm and cozy while I read. I feel sorry for our local neighborhood kitty, Ben, who waited out in the cold rain this afternoon for me to open the door and give him scritches and feed him some treats. He protested his wet and cold paws for a bit before settling down for a nibble. Meanwhile, I've been, like most women, mourning the awful outcome of the election on Tuesday, and hoping that if we stand together, women will prevail over the horrors to come. Here are some reassuring tidbits and reviews for ya'all.
This sounds like a wonderfully inclusive bookstore, and I hope that if I do get to visit NYC, that this will be one of my stops on the "famous bookstores" tour.
The Nonbinarian Opening
Brooklyn Bricks-and-Mortar Store Friday
The Nonbinarian
https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscVSAw-UI6a4zKxF0Hg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6mTUsKtpoMLg-gVdw,
a literary mutual-aid collective that distributes queer books, will
open a bricks-and-mortar bookstore in Brooklyn, N.Y., this Friday,
the Brooklyn Paper reported.
The bookstore, which resides at 1130
President St. in Brooklyn's Crown
Heights neighborhood, debuted as a
pop-up book-bike about two years ago.
In its bricks-and-mortar home it will
sell new and used titles by queer
authors, with a variety of genres for
all age groups represented, as
well as gift items & local goods.
Founder K. Kerimian and their team will
also have a selection of
pay-what-you-can titles for those who
cannot afford full-price books.
They plan to host a variety of
community events and hope the store
becomes a gathering place.
Kerimian, who was the recipient of the
2022 Carla Gray Memorial
Scholarship for Emerging
Bookseller-Activists, and worked at Greenlight
Bookstore and P&T Knitwear, told
the Brooklyn Paper that they never
thought the mutual-aid, bike-based
pop-up would ever have a physical
storefront, but volunteers and
supporters advocated for the idea.
They said: "It's a real show of
faith from the people who have been
foundational in building the
Nonbinarian Book Bike that we've grown to
be ready to even consider a future
beyond the bike as it is, that the
people around me saw something that I
wasn't ready to see."
Kerimian also noted that the
Nonbinarian has distributed books in the
neighborhood before, and is familiar
with the community.
I loved this book, and I liked the movie, though I felt that they left a lot of the good stuff out. Lets hope that this new streaming version does the book justice.
TV: Like Water for
Chocolate
The first episode of the HBO Original
series Like Water for Chocolate
https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscVSAwUI6a4zKxFyTg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6mTUsKtpoMLg-gVdw,
based on Laura Esquivel's
Mexican literary classic, made its
debut this past Sunday, November 3,
on HBO Latino in the U.S. and is
streaming globally on Max, with new
episodes dropping weekly. An original
production from Warner Bros. Discovery, the six-episode series is
produced by Salma Hayek Pinault's Ventanarosa Productions, Endemol
Shine North America, and Endemol Shine Boomdog.
Author Jamie Ford, who lived in the PNW for years, has some great insight on how to survive in the aftermath of this horrible election. I also agree with the ABA CEO, that its important not to wallow in despair.
Reactions to 2024 Election
Author Jamie Ford
https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscVTZxLgI6a4zdxEgSw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6mTC8XwpoMLg-gVdw
posted: "When Trump won in 2016, I went to my local indie
bookstore the next day. I just wanted to go to my happy place and was
surprised at how many other people showed up for the same reason. I
saw many friends there that day and we commiserated together. I'm
planning on doing the same thing [this] afternoon."
And in Bookselling This Week yesterday,
ABA CEO Allison Hill wrote to
members in part, "It would be easy
to despair. But that's not what we're
going to do. ABA remains committed to
our work on behalf of our members
because we believe deeply in the work
of independent bookstores and in
the critical role they will play in
what happens next in this country.
"Independent bookstores provide
inclusive and affirming community
spaces; support access to books; ally
with librarians and teachers;
ensure that people can see themselves
reflected in books; champion the
right to read and the First Amendment;
promote long-form reading that
fosters critical thinking; create
opportunities for discourse; provide
alternatives to monopolies that limit
consumer choice; and bring people
together. The work of independent
bookstores matters more than ever.
"If your candidates won, hold them
accountable and demand bipartisan
partnerships to accomplish what is
needed for all people, small
businesses, and our country to thrive.
"If your candidates didn't win,
take care of your mental health, keep
the faith, and connect with others.
Find ways to support yourself and
the goals you hoped your candidate
would achieve to ensure that all
people, small businesses, and our
country thrive.
"We know today is a painful and
divisive day for many, but election
results are not the end; they're the
beginning. What matters most is
what we do next."
This looks like a fantastic movie that I'm anxious to see. Minnie Driver's an amazing actress who always brings to bear her full array of talent to every role.
Movies: The Household
Guide to Dying
Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) and
Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy)
"are in talks to star" in
Emma-Kate Croghan's (Love and Other
Catastrophes, Strange Planet) movie The
Household Guide to Dying,
based on the book by Debra Adelaide,
Deadline reported. The film marks
Australian director's return to
features after a 25-year absence.
Ellen Wander of Film Bridge
International is selling The Household Guide
to Dying at this week's American Film
Market in Las Vegas. CAA Media
Finance and WME Independent are
co-repping domestic. The film is being
produced by Leesa Kahn (Come Away) and
Catriona Hughes (Kokoda: 39th
Battalion) of GFN Productions, as well
as James Spring (Finding Your
Feet) of Fred Films.
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong is a cozy fantasy that is as soothing and delicious as a hot cup of tea on a chilly day. The prose is delightful and substantial enough to keep the long and winding road of the plot on course. Here's the blurb: There's a lot of romance woven throughout the plot, and the characters are so well drawn that you almost feel that you could step into a local farmer's market and have Tao read your fortune. The story was so engrossing that I read it all the way through in 24 hours. I'm a big fan of character-driven tales, and though there's a really diverse cast here, I fell in love with most of them right away (they reminded me of the crew of the Liberator on Blake's 7, an old science fiction TV show from the 70s...there was the whiny thief, the big brawny guy who works with him, the gal with special powers and the outlier, the baker whose goods don't look enticing but taste wonderful, sort of a metaphor for everyone in the group who looks different on the outside than they are on the inside. The added mystery of finding the big guy's little daughter spices things up and keeps the characters focused until the HEA. I'd give this big hug of a book an A-, and recommend it to anyone who likes tales of travelers and fortune tellers and found family.
This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher is a strange yet humorous romantasy novel that reads like a fan-fiction version of the Princess Bride, though its not as well written. That's not to say that the prose is awful, it's not...the prose is bouncy and dances well with the zippy plot, until the end of the book, which sort of fell apart like a lollipop in a thunderstorm. Here's the blurb:
Former friends and former flames reunite on a mayhem-spike quest in this cozy romantasy perfect for readers of Legends & Lattes and lovers of Shrek.
TEN YEARS AGO, THEY SAVED THE REALM. IT RUINED THEIR LIVES.
Everyone
in Mythria knows the story of how best friends Beatrice and Elowen,
handsome ex-bandit Clare, and valiant leader Galwell the Great defended
the realm from darkness. It’s a tale beloved by all—except the heroes.
They haven’t spoken in a decade, devastated by what their quest cost
them.
But when they all receive an invitation to the
queen of Mythria’s wedding, it’s a summons they can’t refuse . . . and a
reunion for the ages—with Clare secretly not over his long-ago fling
with Beatrice, Beatrice fighting the guilt she feels over how everything
ended, Elowen unprepared for the return of her ex-love (the cunning
Vandra), and all of them lost without Galwell. And if reuniting with
former friends and lovers wasn’t perilous enough, dark forces from their
past have also returned.
Dusting off old weapons and
old instincts, Beatrice, Clare, and Elowen will face undead nemeses,
crystal caves, enchanted swords, coffee shops, games of magical Truth or
Dare, and, hardest of all, their past—rife with wounds never healed and
romances never forgotten.
This time around, will their story end in happily ever after?
The first third of this book was great fun, lots of banter, etc, and even the armchair psychology wasn't too annoying, until it became apparent that no one edited the book for redundancies. So readers have to hear about the trauma, grief and pain of each main character, over and over and over again, which became tedious. The final third of the book descended into the ridiculous, with a fan service revitalization of a dead character via a magical power that we didn't even know about until just then. Why bring back a dead character and expect no consequences to the timeline? Has no one of the three people who wrote this book (book by committee, I should have known that it would end badly) ever watch Star Trek, or any of the spin-offs, especially DS9? The temporal or time police would have been all over this book. I won't go into detail and spoil it for you, but I would recommend taking the last part of the book with a grain of salt. That's why I'd give it a B-, and only recommend it as a kind of "beach read" that you don't take too seriously.Red Winter by Annette Marie is a dramatic YA Japanese fantasy novel that you can almost see as a movie playing in your head as you read it. It has Japanese folk legends woven throughout it, and many beautiful descriptions of life in a town populated by spirits and gods, creatures and familiars. Here's the blurb: I loved Shiro the cursed Kitsune, and the Raven and crow people's ability to shapeshift back and forth. Though there were gorgeous illustrations throughout, I wish that this book would have been done up in comic book/anime/manga style, so I could see the dramatic showdowns and battles, as well as Emi's beautiful costumes. Of course, being the first book in the series, we're left at the end wondering what happened to Shiro and his beaded armband that keeps him from utilizing his powers. Hopefully Emi will be able to remove them in the next book. Due to this being a book set in the past in Japan, Emi is a passive and often "demure" or wimpy character who waits for others to help her or deal with her problems, because she perceives herself as a weak female. But she is determined to do the right thing anyway, and that redeems her character for me. I'd give this book a B, and recommend it to anyone fascinated by Japanese legends and stories.
The Thirteenth Child by Erin A Craig is and engrossing, beautifully written fantasy that has sumptuous prose and fascinating characters. Here's the blurb: All gifts come with a price.
Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.
When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.
But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?
From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love? The Thirteenth Child is a must-read for fans of dark fairy tales, romantasy, and epic fantasy alike.
Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.
When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.
But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?
From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love? The Thirteenth Child is a must-read for fans of dark fairy tales, romantasy, and epic fantasy alike.
Though it's dark or gothic fantasy, this book never falls into horror territory, thankfully, and I loved how focused the plot was on the beauty of life in contrast to the finality of death. I cried at the end, which I almost never do, and though it clocked in at nearly 500 pages, for once I felt that it was worth the ink, to read of Hazel's miraculous journey through her extraordinary life. The physical book itself is gloriously designed and has elegant end papers that will call to those who love looking at a well designed book. I'd give it a healthy A, and recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories with heart and soul.
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