Readers Discover AI Prompt, Naval Academy Retreats on Book Removals, Harry Potter TV Series, Blue Books Back in Classrooms, Sir Ian McKellen Does Shakespeare, Quote of the Day, Hamiliton Cast Reunites at Tony Awards, Obit Note for Peter David, When Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley, The Circus Infinite by Khan Wong, Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann and All This Twisted Glory by Tahereh Mafi

 

Welcome to June and the sunny, hot summer days that give Seattle and surrounding areas a good name for vacationing. Its also a great time to avoid the pollen and sunburn and read indoors, as I've been doing religiously for the past 50 years. We're coming up on garage sales and library summer book sales, which is a lot of fun for treasure hunters like myself, especially in light of how difficult it is to keep my TBR pile healthy and full on a very slim budget. Anyway, there's a lot of bad and good things going on in the book world, as you will see below, along with my usual 4 book reviews. Enjoy, fellow bibliophiles!

 

This doesn't surprise me, but it seems like AI use in novels would have gotten out of hand a long time ago, especially since people tend to use new technology for the most base (and evil) purposes, right out of the gate. 

 

Readers Discover AI Prompt in Novel

Between thatChicago-Sun Timesstory and this one about an author who left an AI prompt in her romantasy novel, AI use is getting as messy as we thought it would. Readers of Lena McDonald’s Darkhollow Academy: Year 2 took to social to point out the prompt, which, Futurism reports, not only asked for a rewrite but a rewrite in fellow romantasy author J. Bree’s voice (the prompt has since been deleted). I’ve written before about the pace of publishing to meet demand, especially in the romantasy genre, and I don’t assume this is an isolated incident.Futurism ‘s Victor Tangermann points to additional instances of AI-generated works and the proliferation of AI books on Amazon, and there are certainly undiscovered, more expertly disguised instances we haven’t yet identified. It’s easy to understand readers’ frustration–it’s the human touch and unique perspectives I and others are questing for, not an AI masquerade.

 

Thank heaven that the Naval Academy is taking another look at this blatant censorship of books in their library. Shame on the DOD. 

Naval Academy Retreats on Library Books Removal

Most of the 381 books that the U.S. Naval Academy removed from its

library in April after an order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's office resulted in a purge of titles are back on the shelves.

The Associated Press reported that the decision marks "the latest turn

in a dizzying effort to rid the military of materials related to

diversity, equity and inclusion programs."

Approximately 20 books from the academy's library have now been pulled

aside to be checked, including some that weren't identified or removed

in the initial purge, according to defense officials. The AP noted that

earlier this month, the Pentagon issued a new detailed directive to all

military leaders and commands to pull and review library books

addressing diversity, anti-racism or gender issues, but the order

contained more specific search words than earlier guidance and verbal

orders from Defense Department leaders, which has resulted in far fewer

banned books.

In a statement, the Navy said it reviewed the library collections at all

of its educational institutions to ensure compliance with the

directives, noting that materials have been "identified and

sequestered." The Army and Air Force also have reviewed their

collections.

A temporary Academic Libraries Committee set up by the department to

oversee the process provided a list of search terms to use to determine

which books to pull and review, including: affirmative action,

anti-racism, critical race theory, discrimination, diversity, gender

dysphoria, gender identity and transition, transgender, and white

privilege.

 

Though JKR is among the people whom we shun for being a blatant TERF, I'm still looking forward to this new HP TV series, which sounds like it will be a lot of fun. 

TV: Harry Potter Series

Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton have

been cast as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in HBO's

upcoming Harry Potter TV series, based on J.K. Rowling's books. Deadline reported that a "whopping 32,000 kids had auditioned for what are undoubtedly three of the biggest TV roles of the coming decade." The trio will now prepare for the start of filming, which is set for this summer at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, in England, with the first season airing in 2026.

"After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and

Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry,

Hermione, and Ron," said showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod. "The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold,

and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together

onscreen. We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children

who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of

young talent out there."

They will join an adult cast that so far includes Paapa Essiedu as

Snape, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva

McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.

 

I remember blue books from my time in high school and college...they always seemed to bring me comfort in their same-ness, because you always knew exactly how many pages you had to fill with your answers. I think that its important for today's students to not rely on AI or Google for test answers...its dishonest and it doesn't force them to think, really think about their responses to test questions about material learned in the classroom. Pay attention and do the work, people! 

AI Brings Blue Books Back Into Classrooms

I honestly had no idea what a Blue Book was when I started reading this article on surging sales of the books to combat student AI reliance in the classroom, and I’m glad I missed out because their use as tools to demonstrate subject mastery through a sort of pop quiz essay sounds anxiety-inducing. The sales seem to be mostly coming from universities, where there’s a higher bar of expectation and accountability for students to learn the material. It’s troubling to hear about students becoming reliant on AI–there’s a whole podcast about this sitting like a coiled snake in my queue because I am a parent of kids who will be going to school in this AI era–and while it sounds like the in-class essay is a helpful tool, we’ll very likely need more robust systems to ensure students are actually learning because the tech is only going to get more sentient sophisticated and embedded in our lives.

I love this...Ian McKellen is such an amazing actor. The fact that he's very pro LGBTQ/Diversity is just icing on the cake.

 

Sir Ian McKellen is Doing Cool Things With Shakespeare

No, he’s not sitting at an exclusive cafeteria table in matching leather jackets with The Bard, but he is opening an all-trans and nonbinary rehearsed reading of one my Shakespearian favorites, Twelfth Night . I really wish I could get to London for this production at The Space Theatre in London on July 25, just ahead of London Trans Pride, but, hey, I’ll take the global livestream. This debut production of Trans What You Will is directed by Phoebe Kemp who says, “Twelfth Night already toys with gender and performance – it feels like Shakespeare wrote it for us. This reading is about joy, solidarity and showing what’s possible when trans and nonbinary artists are at the centre of the story.”

I've said it before and I will say it again, I would LOVE to own my own bookstore! I have no experience running a business, so this is unlikely to happen, but I still love bookstores dearly. They're havens of stories that bring so much joy to my life.

 

Quotation of the Day

"Let me start with this: I didn't choose children's bookselling. It

chose me. And I think that goes for tons of people in the industry. It

doesn't matter what your position is, whether you're a general

bookseller or a children's bookseller or you specialize in poetry, it's

something that finds you and you fall in love with it."--Gen de Botton, senior manager of children's bookselling programs & education for the American Booksellers Association, in a "125 Years of ABA"

This is so awesome! Hamilton fans around the world, like myself, are really excited for this news!

 

Reunited and It Feels So Good

I’ve got good news for the Hamilfans out there–the original Broadway cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton is reuniting for the 78th annual Tony Awards . It’s been 10 years since the play debuted and what better place to celebrate than at Broadway’s biggest awards ceremony? Miranda will be joined by Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom, Jr., and more performers who broke ground with the singular play. I recently rewatched Hamilton and that energy doesn’t quit; I fully expect the audience to be on their feet for this one. I mean, what a time to look back at America’s fraught, complicated, underdog history and to remember that we weren’t and aren’t about monarchies.

 

BOOOOO! They can't eliminate the IMLS! Disastrous for libraries everywhere!

 

New Federal Budget Proposal Eliminates The Institute for Museum and Library Services

Executive orders and random social posts can only go so far. The Trump administration’s efforts to defund, cripple, and otherwise denigrate a host of federal agencies has been met with considerable legal resistance. That changes when the law changes, however, and unless Congress and the President reauthorize funding for the IMLS, it will simply go away. And that’s just what the most recent budget proposal does . I am not following the tick-tock of the current budgeting process, but hard to imagine this is something that someone fights that hard to continue unless they hear it from their constituents. And that’s where you come in. Write. Call. Care loudly to people that matter.

I've read a lot of books by the late Peter David, and I'm shocked to hear that he died so young. I loved his B5 scripts and his book about b5's Vir Cotto, which I had the actor sign. I also enjoyed his Star Trek novels and his comic book works. RIP to a very talented wordsmith.

 

Obituary Note: Peter David

Peter David, "who wrote millions of words of science fiction, fantasy and comic-book adventures, becoming a favorite of fans by making it clear that his enthusiasm for genre fiction matched or exceeded theirs," died May 24,

the New York Times reported. He was 68.

While David wrote scripts for the TV series Babylon 5, "highly

opinionated" columns for the magazine Comics Buyer's Guide, and dozens

of Star Trek novels, "it was with his 11-year run, from 1987 to 1998, on

the Marvel title The Incredible Hulk, which began as a collaboration

with the rising artist Todd McFarlane, that David left his imprint on

the industry," the Times noted.

Once a flagship character for Marvel, including a network TV series from

1978 to 1982, the Hulk's comic book sales had declined after the show

ended, but David revived the character by emphasizing his menace and

exploring the traumatic childhood that had led to his split personality.

Valentine De Landro, an artist who drew a dozen issues of Marvel's

X-Factor (an X-Men spinoff title) written by David in 2008 and 2009,

said, "Story lines that he helped build and concepts for characters that

he developed from almost 50 years ago are currently being referenced and

leveraged."

Earlier in his career, David spent four years working on Marvel's

business side before moving to editorial, with another two years passing

before he could afford to write full time. In his memoir, Mr. Sulu

Grabbed My Ass, and Other Highlights From a Life in Comics, Novels,

Television, Films and Video Games (2020), he recalled that his father

had warned him: "Your hobbies are nice, but you can't make a living out

of science fiction and comic books." But David wrote that it was

"exactly what I did."

In addition to his work on the Hulk, David wrote numerous other titles

for various publishers, including on Captain Marvel, Supergirl, Young

Justice and Spider-Man 2099. His work on DC's Aquaman in the 1990s

influenced the 2018 and 2023 films starring Jason Momoa as Aquaman.

David's more than 100 novels included many in the Star Trek universe as

well as New Frontier, a spinoff series created with the editor John J.

Ordover, for which he wrote 21 books between 1997 and 2015. His most

popular Star Trek novel was Imzadi, a 1993 romance starring the

characters William Riker and Deanna Troi, who originally appeared on the

TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley is a beautifully written and illustrated gay romantasy that reminded me of the House on the Cerulean Sea, (by TJ Klune) with its themes of gay people trying to hide in plain sight and make a life for themselves in the early 20th century...and finding "found family" along the way. Here's the blurb: The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman in this beautifully illustrated queer historical cozy fantasy, as a young Puerto Rican immigrant goes through a journey of love and self-discovery after capturing a merman for a Coney Island sideshow act in turn-of-the 20th century New York.

 

Benigno “Benny” Caldera, an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds everyone, especially the eccentric side-show proprietor who commissioned it. Benny’s work earns him an invitation to join the show’s eclectic crew of performers—his first welcome in the city—and share in their astonishing secret: the tank Benny built is a cage for their newest exhibit, a living, breathing, in-the-flesh merman stolen from the banks of the East River under a gleaming full moon.

The merman is more than a mythic marvel, though. Benny comes to know Río as a clever philosopher, an observant traveler, and a kindred spirit more beautiful and compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own.

A cage is no place for a merman to survive. Though releasing Río means betraying his new family, bankrupting their home, and losing his soulmate forever, Benny must look within for the courage to do what’s right, and find a love strong enough to free them both.

"When the Tides Held the Moon is a beautifully illustrated novel with artwork throughout by Venessa Vida Kelley, known for her stunning romance and fantasy art. This novel includes two different full-color endpapers for front and back, fully-designed chapter headers, and 27 pieces of detailed illustrations throughout, using beautiful two-color, aqua blue and black inks.

This elegant snapshot of life for the poor in the early 20th century, when Boardwalk entertainment in New York was at its height, had me alternately laughing and crying at all the myths and superstitions and actual miracles woven into everyday life. Coming up on the heels of the Gilded Age, with its robber barons and wealthy folk in their mansions overlooking the slums full of starving children all around them, its easy to see how prejudice was used as a whip to keep the "underclasses" in line. Yet Kelley manages to make her points about ingrained prejudice in such a philosophical and elegant way that readers can see into the hearts of the damaged "evil" antagonists to understand why they do the horrible things that they do. The ending is exciting and had me sobbing. The plot of this novel never flags, and gliges along swiftly with the glorious illustrations of some of the main points of the book. I'd give this magnificent volume an A+, and recommend it to everyone. It's worth the high price of hardback books these days.

 

The Circus Infinite by Khan Wong is a delicious SF/F LGBTQ hybrid with strong romantic themes and a found family that will have you riveted to the page. Here's the blurb: A circus takes down a crime-boss on the galaxy’s infamous pleasure moon.

Hunted by those who want to study his gravity powers, Jes makes his way to the best place for a mixed-species fugitive to blend in: the pleasure moon where everyone just wants to be lost in the party. It doesn’t take long for him to catch the attention of the crime boss who owns the resort-casino where he lands a circus job, and when the boss gets wind of the bounty on Jes’ head, he makes an offer: do anything and everything asked of him or face vivisection.
 
With no other options, Jes fulfills the requests: espionage, torture, demolition. But when the boss sets the circus up to take the fall for his about-to-get-busted narcotics operation, Jes and his friends decide to bring the mobster down. And if Jes can also avoid going back to being the prize subject of a scientist who can’t wait to dissect him? Even better.
Jes's gripping, emotional journey seemed to have all the hallmarks of YA, yet there was also the self discovery of magic powers that lead to his growth as a person, whch is more universal than the YA genre. Jes is also a mixed race empath who runs away from years of abuse to--where else--the circus, as young people in trouble have been doing for centuries on earth. Wong's prose, while lovely, manages to be pragmatic and strong enough to keep his sturdy plot zooming along at warp speed. The HEA came as something of a surprise, however. Still, I'd give this wonderful, imaginative book an A, and recommend it to anyone who likes diverse science fiction, well crafted and brilliant.

 

Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann is an unusual mystery whose sleuths are a group of anthropomorphic sheep in Ireland. Yes, you read that right...sheep. Even translated from the original German (German author writes about Irish sheep! Yikes!), the prose in this novel is stellar and the plot so full of wild twists and turns that you'll find yourself reading into the wee hours just to see where things go next! Here's the blurb: 
Something is not right with George the shepherd. His sheep have gathered around him outside the cozy Irish village of Glennkill to assess the situation. George has cared for the sheep, reading them books every night, and now he lies pinned to the ground with a spade. His flock, far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep, sets out to find George’s killer, led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world).

Her team of investigators includes Othello, who was rescued from the Dublin Zoo; Mopple the Whale, who is always hungry and remembers everything; and Zora, an existential ewe—just to name a few. Together, the sheep discuss the crime late into the night, and their speculations vary wildly. Determined to unravel the mystery, they embark on furtive missions into the village, where they encounter a hoof-full of two-legged suspects. There’s Ham, the terrifying butcher who smells of death; Rebecca, the secretive village newcomer; and Father Will, a sinister priest the sheep call God.

With wit and heart, this clever international bestseller is a mystery to chew on—and savor. 

 

This cast of funny and wise sheep really gives readers a unique POV on what its like to be a ruminant, constantly craving plants animal who are used for their fleece and their meat in a human centered world of predators. Considered by humankind to be stupid and soulless creatures, Othello, Miss Maple, and Mopple the Whale are anything but, as readers peek inside the flocks thoughts, hopes and dreams. Though the ending seems implausible (How will a flock of sheep fly from Ireland to other parts of Europe or America?) this cozy mystery will leave you guessing until the final chapter. I'd give it a B+, and recommend it to animal lovers and cozy mystery fans.

 

All This Twisted Glory by Tahereh Mafi is the third romantasy book in the Woven Kingdom series. Having read the first two novels, I was hoping for some more answers to all the questions and plot points of the first two books, but for every question answered, two or three more were proposed, leaving the plot careening off into the night. Here's the blurb: 

The highly anticipated third novel in the Woven Kingdom romantasy series, full of powerful magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal, from the award-winning and bestselling author of the Shatter Me series. 

 As the long-lost heir to the Jinn throne, Alizeh has finally found her people—and she might’ve found her crown. Cyrus, the mercurial ruler of Tulan, has offered her his kingdom in a twisted exchange: one that would begin with their marriage and end with his murder.

Cyrus’s dark reputation precedes him; all the world knows of his blood-soaked past. Killing him should be easy—and accepting his offer might be the only way to fulfill her destiny and save her people. But the more Alizeh learns of him, the more she questions whether the terrible stories about him are true.

Ensnared by secrets, Cyrus has ached for Alizeh since she first appeared in his dreams many months ago. Now that he knows those visions were planted by the devil, he can hardly bear to look at her—much less endure her company. But despite their best efforts to despise each other, Alizeh and Cyrus are drawn together over and over with an all-consuming thirst that threatens to destroy them both.

Meanwhile, Prince Kamran has arrived in Tulan, ready to exact revenge.

Layered with exquisite tension and heart-stopping romance, All This Twisted Glory is the explosive third book in the Woven Kingdom series.

 

At least we learn in this book that Kamran really is a narcissistic jerk who doesn't love Alizeh, but wouldn't hesitate to use her to consolidate the kingdoms and make him the king of the world. Meanwhile, poor abused Cyrus is left dreaming constantly of Alizeh, and it becomes tedious how many times and ways the author can imagine to describe Alizehs hair, or skin, or eyes, or soft curvy figure. It goes on and on...and then Alizeh seems to catch feelings for Cyrus and so spends page after page describing his copper-red hair and beautiful body. Kamran is also, of course, beautiful, but in a cruel way, so thankfully we aren't treated to as many boring descriptions of his body hair....yawn. This book seemed like a lot of "filler" material, including info-dumps, all crafted around a couple of important revelations that would have taken up about a third of the space. Where are the editors these days with their red pens? These series authors are allowed to pad book after book for no reason other than to cater to soft core porn and horror fans and those autistic readers who revel in intricate details that bore the crap out of the rest of us. I did learn that Mafi is married to author of the Peculiar Children series, Ransom Riggs, so that left me wondering if he is her first reader, and, as his prose is concise and clear, if he intentionally leaves any suggested edits out of his preliminary readings to keep peace in their household. Anyway, I'd give this bloated romantasy a B-, and only recommend it to those who've read the first two novels in the series and are very patient people.