Today is my 28th wedding anniversary and my mother's 88th birthday, so happy birthday to my book-loving mom and happy anniversary to myself and my husband, for making it through so many years. I've been reading a lot lately, and some of the books have been revelations of wonder, while others were just mediocre. Still, here's some tidbits and some reviews to enjoy with a hot cuppa and a warm sweater and a purring cat on your lap, enjoying the cool Autumnal temps and the beautiful fall leaves.
A great humanist and conservationist has passed, the great Jane Goodall, who lead a fantastic life during her 90 plus years on the planet...go with god, Jane.
Obituary
Note: Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall, "one of the world's
most revered conservationists, who earned scientific stature and
global celebrity by chronicling the distinctive behavior of wild
chimpanzees in East Africa--primates that made and used tools, ate
meat, held rain dances, and engaged in
organized warfare," died October
1, the New York Times reported. She was
91.
Her death has sparked tributes
worldwide for her lifelong dedication to
her work in the field, but the Times
also noted that "long before focus
groups, message discipline and
communications plans became crucial tools
in advancing high-profile careers and
alerting the world to significant
discoveries in and outside of science,
Dr. Goodall understood the
benefits of being the principal
narrator and star of her own story of
discovery."
A significant part of that
communication was through her work as a
writer. She was 29 in 1963 when
National Geographic magazine published
her 7,500-word, 37-page account of the
lives of primates she had
observed in the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee
Reserve in what is now Tanzania.
"In articles and books, her lucid
prose carried vivid descriptions, some
lighthearted, of the numerous perils
she encountered in the African
rainforest," the Times wrote. Her
writing gained more attention from
three long National Geographic articles
during the 1960s and '70s and
three well-received books: My Friends,
the Wild Chimpanzees (1967), In
the Shadow of Man (1971), and Through a
Window (1990).
Goodall's mother was an author and
novelist who wrote under the name
Vanne Morris-Goodall and accompanied
her daughter to the Gombe reserve
at the start of Jane Goodall's study in
1960. She also became a leading
character in her daughter's writing,
the Times noted.
Goodall wrote 32 books, 15 of them for
children, including Chimpanzees I
Love: Saving Their World and Ours
(2001) and Rickie and Henri: A True
Story (2004, with Alan Marks). Her
adult books include Beyond Innocence:
An Autobiography in Letters, the Later
Years (2001, edited by Dale
Peterson), The Ten Trusts: What We Must
Do to Care for the Animals We
Love (2002, with Marc Bekoff), Harvest
for Hope: A Guide to Mindful
Eating (2005), Hope for Animals and
Their World: How Endangered Species
Are Being Rescued from the Brink
(2009), and Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and
Wonder from the World of Plants (2013,
with Gail Hudson).
In her last work, The Book of Hope: A
Survival Guide for Trying Times
(2021, with Douglas Abrams & Gail
Hudson), she wrote of her optimism
about the future of humankind.
Asked about her legacy, Wrangham said:
"As a scientist she was, of
course, the first person to document
the lives of chimpanzees in the
wild, and she did so absolutely
beautifully. Her 1986 book, The
Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of
Behavior was a masterpiece of
description of the complicated species
with many different angles, and
it was a very sophisticated description
that people still cite, probably
more than anything, despite the fact
that there are far more people now
studying chimps in many different
places than during her time. So she
set the standard, and she built the
foundation for the study of
chimpanzees in a really terrific way.
That's one aspect of her legacy."
When asked what the one thing is that
we should all remember her for, he
replied: "I think that the phrase
that she would use--she was talking
both with respect to chimps and
humans--is that every individual
matters."
This sounds like a fascinating movie, and I hope that I get the chance to see it when its on a streaming service...I'm a fan of Alexander S and Olivia Coleman.
Movies:
Wicker
Wicker, a "twisted romance"
movie adapted from the short story "The Wicker Husband" by
Ursula Wills-Jones, has now wrapped, Variety reported. Directed by
Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson from their script, the film
was shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Lol Crawley (The
Brutalist). The cast includes Alexander Skarsgard, Peter Dinklage,Elizabeth Debicki, and Olivia Colman.
The story follows Colman as a "smelly,
single and perpetually ridiculed"
fisherwoman living on the outskirts of
a village by the sea, Variety
noted. "One day, fed up with her
stuffy, small-minded neighbors, she
commissions the local basketmaker to
build her a husband entirely from
wicker, with their relationship
sparking 'outrage, jealousy and chaos.'
I found this funny and relatable. People can be a real pain in the backside when they're shopping, but bookstore patrons are often a cut above...here's a report from the front lines by Robert Gray, an editor of the fantastic newsletter Shelf Awareness.
Robert
Gray: Bookstore Customer Service
I was in a bookshop and asked a worker if
he could recommend books to me.
He said "Sure, they're great."
(My Shelf Books and Gifts, Wellsboro, Pa.)
For almost a decade in my misspent
youth, I worked in a supermarket,
where "customer service"
often meant fielding complaints. Most people go
to grocery stores because they have to,
and the sooner the experience is
over the better.
Bookshops are different. Patrons walk
through the front door because
they really want to. Booksellers enjoy
the company of most of their
customers, who tend to be nice
people... and fellow readers to boot.
(FYI: The worst customer I ever dealt
with as a bookseller was better
than the average customer I encountered
daily working in a supermarket.)
One of our most loyal bookstore
customers was a corporate consultant for
the hotel, cruise ship, and restaurant
industry. A great believer in the
importance of "the last three
feet," he focused on that critical moment
when a member of the company's staff
personally, physically,
psychologically, and emotionally
transfers "product"--a meal, a room
key, an entertainment
recommendation--across the unfathomable gap
between the company and an individual
consumer/guest. This is
essentially the job description for a
frontline bookseller.
The Nanny's Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes by Amy Rose Bennett is a cozy Victorian romantasy that was a true delight to read. The characters are fascinating and fun, the prose witty and whimsical and the engrossing plot sails along on this mystery that kept me turning pages until the wee hours. Here's the blurb: I adored the Mary Poppins magical nanny main character, Emme, and the enigmatic duke, Xavier, who, with his three rambunctious wards, is in a real pickle trying to make his household run smoothly and keep the children learning and growing and feeling safe and secure, while Xavier tries to finish his plans for a special clock. The Duke is artistic and scientific, but also fearful and damaged, due to being neurodivergent, which, at the time, usually led to being incarcerated in an asylum for the mentally insane. He's not insane, however, just inept socially, like most autistic people, and he finds his libido rising the longer he knows the lovely Emme, whose kindness and loving nature changes everyone in the household for the better. The slow-burn romance between Emme and the Duke is delicious, and I loved the HEA that you can see coming a mile away, but still enjoy to the fullest. I'd give this saucy and fun novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who loves cozy romances with a touch of magic.
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune is an LGBTQ science fiction/fantasy/romance novel that is surprisingly fascinating, and so engrossing that you will find yourself halfway through the novel before you know it. Here's the blurb: A spine-tingling standalone novel by TJ Klune—a supernatural road-trip thriller featuring
an extraordinary young girl and her two unlikely protectors on the run
from cultists and the government.
There's nothing more human than a broken heart.
In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his only brother wants nothing to do with him, and he's been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington, DC.
With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family's summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon, to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It's not.
Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary ten-year-old girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn't exactly as she appears.
Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible. Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.
There's nothing more human than a broken heart.
In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his only brother wants nothing to do with him, and he's been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington, DC.
With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family's summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon, to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It's not.
Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary ten-year-old girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn't exactly as she appears.
Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible. Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.
TJ Klune's books (I've read them all) always lift my spirits and give me hope for humanity. Klune's prose is clean and elegant and supports his whirlwind plot full of action and adventure and romance, all the way through to his spectacular HEA's that always make me cry, they're so wonderful. In this book Klune takes on UFOs, 4th Encounters/first contact with aliens and gay romance in a refreshing and unusual way that will leave readers breathless and heart-warmed. Klune shows us what found family is all about, while sending readers on a daydream of living in cabins in the woods of Canada, peacefully and without judgement. I loved this brilliant book's characters (Art is hilarious and amazing) and Nate's journey from bitter and disillusioned unemployed journalist to husband and father. This book deserves an A, and I'd recommend it to everyone with an open mind.
Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider is an action/adventure romantasy novel with an amazing plot twist at the end and a zippy plot that will keep readers engaged. Here's the blurb: Though the hurricane plot is powered by intelligent and rigorous prose, the author falls prey to the romantasy trope of the female protagonist who is rendered helpless and submissive by her thirst for the devastatingly handsome male protagonist, whose handsome face and muscles are eclipsed by a freaking nose ring (REALLY? Gross!) that sends our heroine Brynn/Jovie into a lustful tailspin. She doesn't even protest when the prince forces kisses and groping on her, even after she says NO, twice, because her hormones betray her due to his being so hot and irresistable. UGH. I call BS on this, as someone who is a rape survivor, because once you've said NO, and made it clear that you don't want his sexual attentions, anything that comes after that is sexual harassment/rape and isn't sexy in the slightest, I don't care how big his muscles are, or how you fancy his bull-like nose piercing, (EWWW). Also, the idea that even a magically talented woman is only valuable as a chess piece on a political board, or as a brood mare for heirs is the rankest misogyny, as well as being old fashioned and disgusting. And once again the female lead character gets beaten up physically again and again...why is this kind of abuse in these fiction books so common? The book should not have had a title that pertains to the male lead character, IMO, because he was nasty. I can see how the ending "broke the internet', but I still feel that the misogyny in the book should bring the grade down to a B-, and a cautious recommendation to those who like romantasy that the lead female loses her agency due to hormones and a rapist male lead character, sadly.
The Book of G by Lily Archer is a spicy fairy tale/romantasy that's a combination of the Witcher and Beauty and the Beast. Here's the blurb: Sadly, like in Beauty and the Beast, the male protagonist never learns to be a humble, decent good guy, but is instead an arrogant, narcissistic asshat of a misogynist who believes that all women really want/need is violent, dominating sex with him to be happy...he's also controlling and stupid, which makes him even less interesting, IMO. And, like most men, he believes his dick is the biggest and best in the world, so what woman wouldn't want him?! (Answer, any self actualized woman with agency to run far away from this creep). This illiterate lout also has a ton of scars and tattoos, which the fae female protagonist finds drool worthy (I don't...it just makes him seem more brutish to me), and his idea of sexy foreplay is for the female protagonist, Charlie, to insult him, repeatedly. Apparently loathing is sexy. Meanwhile, G wants to "claim" and "possess" Charlie, because, again, women are defined in this novel by their sexual purpose in being the obsession of a man. Women are expected to give up their past career and future dreams in favor of marrying the male protagonist and setting up a household and bearing children for him, all while saving the big idiotic male lead from his own stupid reckless choices over and over again, while being given little or no credit for it. Meanwhile, like most fragile ego male characters, he demeans Charlie's magic powers and station in life as a fae princess. After she has a battle with her abusive father over her future, she chooses the lesser of evils, G, and they're supposed to live happily ever after. Blech. I think Charlie could have done a lot better than G, who is a big immature baby and a jerk. I'd give this 500 page tome a B- and recommend it only to those who think women shouldn't have any rights beyond that of wife and mother and house slave.
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