It's the end of the long month of January already, book lovers, and I'm looking forward to warmer temps and some sunshine, though we don't get a lot of that here in the Pacific Northwest. Not being a fan of heat, this is unusual for me, but somehow this year has need of the optimism of sunshine and warm breezes, at least from my perspective. I'm looking forward to some new spring book titles, as well. So keep your eyes peeled for the latest news of what I'm reading.
I've enjoyed Liz Gilbert's rise to fame and her latest wacky escapade in book news, but here we are after she's suffered a backlash for the near publication of a novel that would offend warring Ukrainians. This is a story that can only get more interesting as time goes on.
Elizabeth
Gilbert Announces Next Book
I
have been waiting to see what Gilbert’s next move was going to be.
Last year, she cancelled the publication her novel, The Snow Forest,
because of…well it’s hard now to explain exactly why she pulled
it. It was supposedly set in Siberia in the mid-20th Century,
featuring a group of characters who “remove themselves from society
in order to resist the Soviet Union.” The
announcement of that book sparked backlash from Ukrainians ,
who of course were not in the mood to stomach anything that might
even vaguely seem like support of Russia. At any rate, Gilbert either
a) agreed with them or b) didn’t want the heat. At any rate, that
books seems to be lost to the wilderness, and the book she announced
last week is nothing related to it. It’s a memoir, and
her description of it
makes it sound like quite the ride:
“In
2000, a friend sent me to see a new hairdresser named Rayya Elias.
You all know my Rayya. Oh my goodness, it’s so easy for some of us
to get lost in each other, isn’t it? Over the years, we became
friends, then best friends, then inseparable. Then tragedy entered
our lives, and we were forced to admit a deeper truth: we were in
love. What we didn’t admit was that we were also a pair of addicts,
on a collision course toward catastrophe.”
I read the original trilogy written by Hugh Howey, and though I was somewhat disappointed in the ending, I found it fascinating as a study in dystopian science fiction. The streaming series is well enacted, though very gritty, and has an admirable cast. I can't wait to see what they have going in Season 3.
TV:
Silo Season 3
Ashley Zukerman (Succession, Fear
Street trilogy) and Jessica Henwick
(Huntington, The Royal Hotel, Glass
Onion) have been added to the cast
for the third season of the Apple TV+
series Silo, based on the novels of Hugh Howey. TheWrap reported that
in Season 3, "Zukerman will star as Daniel, a young and hungry
congressman, while Henwick joins the cast as Helen, a whip-smart
reporter, per the official
character descriptions."
Silo creator Graham Yost told TheWrap
that Daniel and Helen are
characters in the second book in Hugh
Howey's trilogy, but some changes
have been made: "We've monkeyed
with the origin story dramatically,
renaming him from Donald to Daniel.
Whichever way you are in the
political spectrum, we just didn't want
anyone named Donald in that
role. It's just too confusing for
people and are we making a point? Are
we not making a point? We're just not
going to address the point. And we
wanted to make more out of their
relationship than was really in the
book, so we've also gender-swapped
Thurman."
Spokane is one of those places that inspires strong feelings, usually either love or hate, in those who have lived there or live there currently. My son has young friends who currently live there who find it loathsome, but I liked the place due to its small town vibes when I visited about 30 years ago. It's great that another bookstore is opening there.
Jupiter's
Eye Book Cafe Opens in Spokane, Wash.
Jupiter's Eye Book Cafe opened in
downtown Spokane, Wash., on Friday,
KXLY reported
Located in a historic building at 411
W. 1st Ave., Jupiter's Eye focuses
on mystery, science fiction, fantasy,
and horror books. The cafe serves
beer and wine along with tea and
coffee.
Owner Morgan Lynch, a Spokane native,
told KXLY: "I love this this town,
and I'm just really excited to be part
of it and leave my mark in it and
kind of find kindred spirits who also
are looking for this little cozy
spot."
Lynch noted that the bookstore's
building, which was built in 1901, was
originally the Spokane Paper Company.
There was "something really lovely
about 100 years later selling books,
paper goods in this place. It's
full circle for that."
I can hardly wait for this show, which looks to be humorous and insightful. PBS always goes all in on historical figures, especially women authors of renown.
TV:
Miss Austen
Masterpiece on PBS has released the
first trailer for Miss Austen
https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJsdgCMn-QI6a1jKxl_SQ~k1yJoKXv-hs8x67HXp6spoMLg-gVdw, based on Gill Hornby's bestselling 2020
novel. Starring Keeley Hawes(Bodyguard, The Durrells in Corfu), the
project's cast includes Rose
Leslie (Game of Thrones),
Synnve Karlsen (Last Night in Soho),
Patsy Ferran (Living), Max Irons (The
Wife), Alfred Enoch (How to Get
Away with Murder), Calam Lynch
(Bridgerton), and Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey).
Aisling Walsh directs from a script by
Andrea Gibb (Elizabeth Is
Missing), Miss Austen premieres May 4.
It is a co-production of Bonnie
Productions and Masterpiece, in
association with the BBC and Federation
Stories.
I loved Feiffer's works, once I had the advantage of viewing them in college, and later, the graphic designer for the magazine I edited, who was from New York, told me tales of her childhood "counting Ninas" in Feiffer's works. RIP gentleman.
Obituary
Note: Jules Feiffer
Jules Feiffer
https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJsdgCMwbkI6a1jKxB2Tw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x67HXsDxpoMLg-gVdw,
the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and writer "whose prolific
output ranged from a long-running comic strip to plays, screenplays
and children's books," died January 17, the Associated Press
reported. He was 95. His latest book, a graphic novel for young
readers titled Amazing Grapes, was published by Michael di Capua
Books last September.
A versatile creator, Feiffer won a 1986
Pulitzer Prize for his cartoons,
and his animated short film, Munro, won
a 1961 Academy Award. The
Library of Congress held a
retrospective of his work in 1996. The AP
noted that he "hopscotched among
numerous forms of expression,
chronicling the curiosity of childhood,
urban angst and other societal
currents. To each he brought a sharp
wit and acute observations of the
personal and political relations that
defined his readers' lives."
In 1956, Feiffer made his debut in the
Village Voice, where his strip,
called "Feiffer," ran for
more than 40 years. He quit the Voice in 1997
after a salary dispute, but his strip
continued to be syndicated until
he ended it in 2000.
Feiffer's work included novels,
beginning with Harry the Rat with Women
(1963), and he wrote plays, including
1967's Little Murders," which won
an Obie Award. His screenplays ranged
from the 1980 film version of the
classic comic Popeye to Carnal
Knowledge (1971).
After disappointing reviews of his 1990
play Elliot Loves, Feiffer
focused on children's literature.
Having illustrated Norton Juster's
book The Phantom Tollbooth (1961), he
"brought a wry wonder to bear on
his own books for young readers,
starting with 1993's The Man in the
Ceiling," the AP noted.
His other books include The
Unexpurgated Memoirs of Bernard Mergendeiler (1964), Feiffer's
Marriage Manual (1967), Jules Feiffer's America: From Eisenhower to
Reagan (1982), A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears (1995), I Lost My
Bear (1998), Bark, George (1999), Backing into Forward: A Memoir
(2010), and Smart George (2020).
Feiffer had spoken recently about his
macular degeneration and how it
was affecting his work, the Guardian
wrote. "The illusion is that I see as good as I've ever seen,
which is not true, but it's the illusion," he said. "And I
proceed with each drawing from page to page with complete confidence
that it will turn out exactly as I want, which is not always the
case. Failure is a big part of my process." He also spoke about
his next book which would be titled My License to Fail.
The Phoenix Keeper by SA MacLean is a fascinating LGBTQ YA tale of an autistic female zookeeper who works in a zoo that has a number of "magical" (read: dangerous) animals, who are quite a bit like regular earth zoo animals, in that they've got personality and quirks to spare, and are always keeping their zookeepers on their toes. Here's the blurb: Though it's written in a much "younger" easy to understand prose, with a very straightforward plot that ends in such a way that you can see it coming a mile away, I still enjoyed all the "backstage" information about the magical animals at this zoo, and how there are good people who only want to help, and bad people who want to profit from the black market sale of these creatures in this world, just as there are in our world. Aila, though innocent and very much the manic pixie dream girl of the story, is annoying and falls in "love" the way that 13 year old girls do, that is to say in the "out of her mind" and daydreaming about the other person constantly way that's embarrassing, but I gather we're supposed to find adorable. I wanted her to mature by the end and quit relying on all her friends to help her navigate the world in a realistic way. Still, I'd give the book a B-, and recommend it to YA readers on the younger end of the spectrum, particularly those who are into animals and magical critters.
The Irish Girl by Santa Montefiore is a romantic historical fiction novel set at the turn of the 20th Century and the 20 years that followed, with the Great War and the "troubles" that divided Ireland forever. Here's the blurb:
Ireland. The early twentieth century.
Two girls on the cusp of womanhood. A nation on the brink of war.
Born on the ninth day of the ninth month in the year 1900, Kitty Deverill grows up in Castle Deverill, on the sunning green ghills of West Cork, Ireland — the same place her ancestors have always dwelled. She isn't fully Irish, as the son of the local veterinarian likes to tease her; but this doesn't stop Kitty and Jack O'Leary from falling in love...
Bridie Doyle, daughter to Castle Deverill's cook, cherishes her friendship with Kitty. Yet she can’t help dreaming of someday having wealth, having glamour, having... more. And when she discovers Kitty's darkest secret, Bridie finds herself growing to resent the girl in the castle who seems to have it all.
As Irish and British forces collide in Southern Ireland, Jack enlists to fight — and Kitty throws herself into the cause for Irish liberty, running messages and ammunition between the rebels. But , her allegiance to her family and her friends will soon be tested... and when Castle Deverill comes under attack, the only home and life she’s ever known are threatened.
A powerful story of love, loyalty, and friendship, The Irish Girl is an exquisitely written novel set against the magical, captivating landscape of IrelandThis book was mostly a love letter to the land of Ireland, with it's beautiful green hills and exquisite coastline and quaint towns. It's over-written with lush descriptions of same in every chapter. The actual people get a bit lost in the authors sweeping landscape descriptions, but if you keep focused, you can pick it up here and there. While I liked Kitty and Bridie and their stories, I found myself wishing that rapists and murderers didn't get off so easily, and were instead made to pay for their crimes fully. I was also angry that in the end, we're left not knowing if Bridie manages to wrest her son away from Kitty, who is the only mother the poor lad has ever known, though he is too young to know that Kitty is actually his sister, not his mother (because her father is a scumbag). Having visited Ireland, I can honestly say that it is a beautiful place, and the people were lovely to visit with, but this books look back at how things used to be had me thinking and reevaluating how difficult things have been for women in Ireland for centuries. I'd give this book a B, and recommend it to anyone with Irish roots who wants to know more about this fascinating country at the turn of the 20th century.
The Empress by Kristin Cast is a YA romantasy that revolves around time-travel to another world via Tarot cards. I found this book to be a real page-turner, and though I also found the whole "fake marriage to a big brute" overdone and trope-ish, I liked the fact that the main character didn't give up and moved forward with her mission regardless of how high the stakes. Here's the blurb: One thing I don't like about "dark" romances is that it's always the woman who suffers the consequences of the male protagonist's sexual kinks. I think the author must have been a bit too enamored of the 50 Shades of Grey series, and therefore felt it necessary to add light BDSM to the book in the sex scenes because women all really get off on being tied up and spanked, right?! WRONG. There are plenty of women who don't feel excited by pain or dominance by a guy twice their size who is sweaty and mean. Blech. I believe that this kind of trope is mired in misogyny, but it has sold too many books for it to die out anytime soon (damned greedy publishers). Also, though the book is based on the major arcana of the Tarot, no one ever explains the significance of the cards in the Tarot deck...they're just a pretty cover for the rather paint by numbers enemies to lovers trope of romantic fantasy fiction. I'd give this book a B-, and recommend it to those looking for 50 Shades "Light" within a tarot fantasy world.
The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold is a YA dystopian LGBTQ romance about a woman who is trying to survive the end of the world and grieve the loss of her friends and family at the same time. It's got precise and clear prose that propels along a tightly woven plot that moves like lightening. Here's the blurb:
Two teen girls fall in love and fight for survival in an
abandoned bookstore weeks before another cataclysmic storm threatens to
bring about the end of the world in this unforgettable YA debut.
The world is about to end. Again.
Ever since the first Storm wreaked havoc on civilization as we know it, seventeen-year-old Liz Flannery has been holed up in an abandoned bookstore in suburban New Jersey where she used to work, trading books for supplies with the few remaining survivors. It’s the one place left that feels safe to her.
Until she learns that another earth-shattering Storm is coming . . . and everything changes.
Enter Maeve, a prickly and potentially dangerous out-of-towner who breaks into the bookstore looking for shelter one night. Though the two girls are immediately at odds, Maeve has what Liz needs—the skills to repair the dilapidated store before the next climate disaster strikes—and Liz reluctantly agrees to let her stay.
As the girls grow closer and undeniable feelings spring up between them, they realize that they face greater threats than the impending Storm. And when Maeve’s secrets and Liz’s inner demons come back to haunt them both, they find themselves fighting for their lives as their world crumbles around them.
The world is about to end. Again.
Ever since the first Storm wreaked havoc on civilization as we know it, seventeen-year-old Liz Flannery has been holed up in an abandoned bookstore in suburban New Jersey where she used to work, trading books for supplies with the few remaining survivors. It’s the one place left that feels safe to her.
Until she learns that another earth-shattering Storm is coming . . . and everything changes.
Enter Maeve, a prickly and potentially dangerous out-of-towner who breaks into the bookstore looking for shelter one night. Though the two girls are immediately at odds, Maeve has what Liz needs—the skills to repair the dilapidated store before the next climate disaster strikes—and Liz reluctantly agrees to let her stay.
As the girls grow closer and undeniable feelings spring up between them, they realize that they face greater threats than the impending Storm. And when Maeve’s secrets and Liz’s inner demons come back to haunt them both, they find themselves fighting for their lives as their world crumbles around them.
I was saddened that Maeve turned out to be a mole who was only looking for a way to help some nasty people destroy the bookstore and take whatever food and survival equipment that Liz has and leave her to die in the second storm, because I felt that the two of them had a real connection. The results of latter day climate change ring horribly true here, and it's terrifying to think what kind of world our grandchildren and great grandchildren will inherit. One of want and feral people who will kill anyone to enable their own survival. People at their worst, in other words, and it's not surprising how believable their actions are. Fortunately, the author was able to cobble together an HFN ending, so its not such a dark novel to read after all. I appreciated the fact that in a world where books are often 400-800 pages long, this trim volume weighs in at a trim 309 pages. What a relief to read something that's not full of egotistical overblown prose! Brevity is the soul of a good story, if Oscar Wilde doesn't mind me mangling his quote. I'd give this book an A-, and recommend it to anyone who likes LGBTQ dystopian fiction.
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