Icky Neil Gaiman, Holes Comes to TV, 10 Things I Hate About You on Broadway, Robots Soon to Become Medicine, Book Lounge Opens in St Pete, Quote of the Day, A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames, Give Me a Reason by AL Jackson, The Sixth Borough By Alan Bradley, and The Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons by J. Penner

Welcome to the last few days of April, as we launch into May with hotter than usual temps, signaling that Spring was just a couple of weeks long and we're now in for a "devil's back porch" level scorching summer. Ugh...I hate sweating in the heat!Anyway, with my household struggling with CDiff and COVID, it's been a rough week that will hopefully merge into a less fraught May this Thursday. Who will remember the May Day (May 1st) tradition of leaving a basket of flowers and sweets and a poem on a friend's doorstep?

 More disheartening news about Neil Gaiman and his rape/sexual assault charges...the man just can't seem to read a room! WTF, Neil? What happened to the smart and savvy woke guy who was all about empowering women and decrying misogyny in our society? Suddenly, he's lashing out at a single mom who was a victim of his attempt to force himself on her? SO GROSS. For shame, man.

Another Chapter of Ick From the Neil Gaiman Allegations

I try to space out ugly stories where I can in this newsletter but I couldn’t sit on this one any longer. Neil Gaiman is seeking half a million dollars from Caroline Wallner, one of the people who accused him of sexual misconduct. If you made it through the Vulture piece detailing the numbered allegations, you’ll remember her gut-wrenching account where, according to Wallner who was left to support her three children after divorce, she was pressured to have sex with Gaiman in exchange for being able to stay on his property where she and her partner had been living. Well, Vulture now reports that Gaiman is filing a demand for arbitration for breach of the nondisclosure agreement Wallner signed in exchange for $275,000. Wallner’s lawyer was surprised Gaiman would go after his client because of the optics. I was stunned by the lack of self-awareness I read in his blog post responding to the allegations in the original Vulture story, so this feels in character. Arbitration might land in Gaiman’s favor because of current NDA laws, but who’ll mistake him for a winner?

I loved this book and the first movie because they were well done, and because the book was recommended to me by my son, who was in junior high school at the time.

TV: Holes

Greg Kinnear (As Good As It Gets, Little Miss Sunshine), Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live, Shrill), and Shay Rudolph (The Baby-Sitters Club,Lethal Weapon) are joining the cast of the Disney+ pilot Holes,based on Louis Sachar's 1998 book, Deadline reported. Additional new cast members include Flor Delis Alicea (Love the Skin You're In), Anire Kim Amoda (The Penguin), Noah Cottrell (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Iesha Daniels, Sophie Dieterlen, Alexandra Doke (City on Fire), and Maeve Press (Everything's Gonna Be Okay).

Holes is written by Alina Mankin. Sachar's novel was previously adapted into a film in 2003, directed by Andrew Davis and starring Shia LaBeouf, Sigourney Weaver, and Jon Voight. 

Another GREAT movie that I would love to see as a Broadway show. Alas, I don't think I will ever make it to NYC at this late stage of my life. 

 

10 Things I Hate About You Heads to Broadway

Who could have expected a 10 Things I Hate About You Broadway musical adaptation with Carly Rae Jepsen and Lena Dunham attached? Not I. The 1999 film based on William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew , had many a teen swooning over a young Heath Ledger, and this Daria-loving bookworm was drawn to the film’s concept and Julia Stiles’ Kat Stratford like a moth to the flame. It was only a matter of time before we got a reboot of some sort. Jepsen and Dunham will be partnered up with producer Ethan Gruska on the upcoming musical’s score and playwright Jessica Huang on the book, respectively. Jepsen moved far beyond her breakout hit pop song, “Call Me Maybe,” with multiple albums and a Broadway performance in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. I don’t know if Dunham has moved beyond her controversies, of which there are too many to link here, but the former Girls creator is additionally attached to write the script for a film based on Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by Michael Lewis, about Sam Bankman-Fried. We don’t have a lot of details about the musical yet, but you can read more about it at Rolling Stone.

I've had a lot of dreams about having nano-bots making their way through my body, curing all my ailments and getting rid of any stray cancerous or pre-cancerous tumors. I wish that they had this tech perfected now, so it could help me with my Crohns flares.

Tiny Robots Will Soon Deliver Medicine from Inside Your Body

In advances in science this week, scientists have made progress with what they call “soft robots.” They imagine that in the future, there will be robots that will be able to find humans in disaster rubble—after an earthquake, for instance—and bring them supplies. They also expect to have robot pills that will go into the human gastrointestinal tract and deliver medicine. (They have to deliver your medicine in thirty minutes or it’s free.) (Just kidding.)

“One of the most fascinating potential applications is in implantable medical devices,” said co-author Suk-Won Hwang, associate professor at the Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University. “We’re working on miniaturizing the system to make it suitable for biomedical use. Imagine a small robotic system that could be swallowed like a pill, navigate through the gastrointestinal tract, and detect diseases or deliver drugs precisely where they’re needed.” Innerspace, anyone?

I lived in St Petersburg for 3 years when I lived in Florida, and I loved their slightly grungy bookstores, particularly the used bookstores where you could find bargain books for under a dollar. This little store sounds like a dream come true.

The Book Lounge to Open in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Book Lounge will be opening June 15 at 631 Central Ave. in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla. St. Pete Rising reported that the new business, owned by mother/daughter team Natalya Calleja and Pamela Calleja, is a "cozy" 1,600-square-foot space that will carry around 4,000 books, "specializing in romance, fantasy, mystery/thriller, and general fiction. There will also be a small section for LGBTQ+ romance books."

Pamela Calleja, who is preparing to start business school at the University of South Florida St. Pete, launched Pages and Roses, a blind date book business "with a twist," last year. "Instead of just wrapping a book in brown paper and jotting down a few clues, customers choose a genre and spice level, and Pamela directs them towards pre-curated bundles filled with tons of extras--think lip masks, bookmarks, tea, lollipops, stickers, and more. These bookish surprises struck a chord with readers and helped inspire the concept for The Book Lounge," St. Pete Rising noted.

"She's been so successful, I thought, you know what? Let's do this. It's a huge trend, and it was only focused on fiction--so we'll be bringing it to The Book Lounge," said Natalya Calleja, who described the shop's vibe as cozy and eclectic, with mismatched furniture and a welcoming feel. "We want this shop to feel like you're walking into your grandmother's living room--with a warm and cute vibe."

Emma D is correct, indie bookstores are wonderful places, usually staffed by passionate bibliophiles.

Quotation of the Day:

"Like many Canadian authors, my career has depended on indie bookstores.  But more than that: I love them as a reader. Indie bookstores are havens of taste, flavor, intelligence, and warmth. There is no force in the world better at getting the right book into the hands of a reader that is going to love it than a personal recommendation from a passionate bookseller. Thank you all."--Emma Donoghue, author of The Paris Express

Here's the reviews:

A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames is a cozy romantic fantasy that had me gripped into the story from page one. I also loved the fact that the protagonist, Foss, believed herself to be ugly and unlovable because no one had told her anything different her whole life, even her father, who adored her. I know how she feels, as I wasn't ever told that I was beautiful by anyone until I was in my 20s. Here's the blurb:

In the beloved tradition of Howl’s Moving Castle and The House in the Cerulean Sea, a whimsical and unforgettable cozy fantasy about adventure, common sense, and the power of love, as a cheeky butcher's daughter, a befuddlingly handsome sorcerer, and his clever talking cat unlock magical secrets in the dark heart of their kingdom.

Everyone in Foss Butcher’s village knows what happens when the magic-workers come; they harvest human hearts to use in their spells. That’s just how life in her kingdom works. But Foss, plain, clumsy, and practical as a boot, never expected anyone would want hers. 

When a sorcerer snags a piece of Foss’s heart without meaning to, she is furious. For once a heart is snagged, the experience is . . . well, unpleasant. So, Foss finds herself stomping toward the grand City to keep his enchanted House and demands that he fixes her before she keels over and dies, or whatever happens when hearts are Snagged. 

But the sorcerer, Sylvester, is not what she expected. Petulant, idle, and new to his powers, Sylvester has no clue how to undo the heart-taking, or how to do much of anything really, apart from sulk. Foss’s only friend is a talking cat and even the House’s walls themselves have moods. 

As Foss searches for a cure, she accidentally uncovers that there is much more to the heart-taking—and to the magic-workers themselves—than she could have ever imagined .

Cornelius the talking cat was hilarious and wonderful, the perfect partner to the practical, self effacing Foss, who managed to solve the problem of the evil, beautiful sorceresses who were stealing hearts and murdering people for their evil creator, the hideous King, whose only goal was amassing power and wealth and control for himself (rather like our fascist POTUS). The prose was silken and evocative, and the plot flew along on a hummingbird's wings. The HEA was a delight, though I can't imagine how a "made" man could produce real sperm in order to create children and the family Foss so deeply wants for herself. Anyway, I'd give this beautifully produced book with its blue and gold etched edges an A, and recommend it to anyone who likes imaginative fairy tales.

Give Me A Reason by A.L. Jackson is a contemporary romance with a bit of a twist that has just a bit more "spice" (sex) than I usually like, but was still enjoyable in the final analysis. Here's the blurb: 

A single-dad, enemies-to-lovers stand-alone romance from author A.L. Jackson about a jaded club owner and his son’s teacher.

Eden Murphy came into my club looking to make some extra cash.

A girl like her didn't belong in a place like this.

She'd get ripped to shreds.

Most likely by me.

There's nothing but sweetness dripping from her sexy little body, and I'm the monster who's salivating to get a taste.

Trent Lawson is the last man I should want.

Dark.

Dangerous.

So wickedly gorgeous he makes my knees weak.

He's also an arrogant jerk who happens to be my new boss.

When I discover his adorable son is also in my kindergarten class, I know I have to keep my distance.

But neither of us can ignore the attraction that flames.

One glance, and our hearts race.

One touch, and we’re aching for what we can’t have.

One night, and we’re falling fast.

Dragging her into my sordid world is wrong.

It doesn’t matter.

Eden Murphy is mine.

I'm not sure I understand the  attraction of the teacher protagonist, Eden, to a super-possessive guy with more baggage than an airport. I mean, I get that a lot of women are attracted to "bad boys" with a million tattoos and a mean and ruthless attitude, but this guy is also a mafia-style murderer, and Eden seems hell bent on just forgiving his past in record time so that the two of them can bump boots. He calls Eden "kitten" and infantilizes her, which is really sexist, and he doesn't treat her very well, either, until the latter third of the book. Trent's young son, who is supposedly his only reason for existence, is somehow the smartest and most mature 5 year old child to ever don a backpack, and he is instrumental in getting past both adults self-hatred and self esteem issues and into one another's arms (and beds). Though he was a cute sort of Macguffin, I still found him hard to believe as a character. Still, the book held my interest, and the dialog was decent, while the plot never plodded. I'd give this contemporary romance a B, and recommend it to anyone who has a thing for muscular guys with a crap attitude and a ton of tattoos.

 

The Sixth Borough by Alan Bradley is a supernatural mystery/fantasy that I was tricked by Amazon into purchasing. I'm a big fan of the Flavia deLuce mysteries by Alan Bradley, but I know the author is older, so I keep checking to see if he's managed to churn out another Flavia book before shuffling off this mortal coil. When I put "Alan Bradley" into the search bar of Amazon, this was the first book to come up, and it sounded interesting, so I thought it might be a book that Bradley wrote at the beginning of his career, before he started the Flavia series. I also know that there are 5 boroughs in New York City, so I was curious if there was some historical information on a 6th that might have existed when New York was New Amsterdam, centuries ago. Alas, twas not to be. This was a self-published novel written by some guy who is a journalist and just decided to try his hand at writing a magical fantasy novel...and then he paid Amazon so that when anyone types in the name of famed author Alan Bradley, this guy's crappy first novel shows up at the top of the list. BOOOOOO! But I bought it anyway. Here's the blurb: 

After a series of traumatic events, Sander discovers he can access supernatural abilities, but magic in this world is like a shotgun, violent and almost impossible to control. Haunted by tragedy, he is drawn into a secret world hidden behind the façade of New York City, a world of occult power and conspiracy where a vicious struggle for power will determine the fate of the city. 

This book reads like a first novel attempt, with prose that is simplistic enough to appeal to Incel teenage boys who are regular readers of graphic novels and who play shoot-em-up video games. There were a few typos and grammos, but I still managed to make my way through the book, due to the action-oriented plot. I'd give this mediocre novel a C+ and only recommend it to young guys with a penchant for stories of nerds who become superheroes.

 

The Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons by J Penner is a cozy romantasy that reads like a book written for middle school girls. the prose is simple and the plot way too easy to follow to a natural conclusion. Here's the blurb:

Spilling the tea has never been so cozy…

In the quaint town of Adenashire, Doli Butterbuckle, a people-pleasing sunshine dwarf, is content with her simple tea magic and circle of friends. It’s true she’s never quite lived up to family expectations, but life is just fine...until her parents arrive with an inherited dragon egg and then a charming gargoyle harboring a secret strolls into her life.

As Doli grapples with her newfound responsibility and discovers a long hidden side of herself, she must face an overbearing family, a sinister plot, and a mischievous dragon that refuses to stay out of trouble.

But with the help of her loyal friends and newfound love, Doli embarks on a heartwarming adventure, revealing that embracing her true self is the most enchanting path of all.

Escape to Adenashire for a whimsical, cozy fantasy where every steaming cup of tea holds the promise of inner strength.

 

Doli is adorable, and her crush on a muscular gargoyle is sweet. I loved all the descriptions of teas and treats, and the surrounding support characters were delightful. Still, I don't think this book would appeal to most adults, though its a really quick read. I'd give it a B, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozy fantasy and mythical characters come to life.