RIP Cokie Roberts and Jane Mead, Quote of the Day and Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain, The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire, The Eyes of Tamburah by Maria V Snyder, and Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

This has been a rough week for the passing of journalists and actors. Actor Aron Eisenberg, who played Nog on Star Trek's Deep Space 9, died at the age of 50 just a couple of days ago. Cokie Roberts, award winning journalist and household name, also passed recently. With all the icons in music, TV, journalism and film passing away in the past few years, not to mention my own father passing this year, you would think I'd be somewhat acclimated to death by now...but you'd be wrong. I am terrible at grief, it hits me over and over like a bag of bricks in the gut. Still, I like to think that we all, even those of us not granted fame or fortune, leave an indelible mark on the earth before we die. I believe my legacy is found not just in my journalism career, but also in my son, Nick, who is the most amazing and wonderful person I know. Anyway, RIP Cokie Roberts.

Obituary Note: Cokie Roberts

Journalist and bestselling author Cokie Roberts http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41897713, "who joined an upstart NPR in 1978 and left an indelible imprint on the growing network with her coverage of Washington politics before later going to ABC News," died September 17, NPR reported. She was 75. Roberts was one of NPR's "most recognizable voices and is considered one of a handful of pioneering female journalists--along with Nina Totenberg, Linda Wertheimer and Susan Stamberg--who helped shape the public broadcaster's sound and culture at a time when few women held prominent roles in journalism."

Roberts was the author of six books, mostly recently Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868, which examined the role of powerful women in the Civil War era. Her other titles include Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation; Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation; We Are Our Mothers' Daughters; and From This Day Forward (with husband Steven V. Roberts).

Roberts "grew up walking the halls of Congress" as the daughter of Thomas Hale Boggs Sr., a former Democratic majority leader of the House who served in Congress for more than three decades before dying in a plane crash in Alaska in 1972, NPR noted. Her mother, Lindy Claiborne Boggs, took her husband's seat and served for 17 years, and also served as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.

George Will, who worked with Roberts on ABC's This Week, said, "She liked people on both sides of the aisle and had friends on both sides of the aisle. If you don't like the game of politics, I don't see how you write about it well. She liked the game of politics and she understood that it was a game."

The New York Times reported that in a statement, Michelle and Barack Obama called Roberts "a trailblazing figure http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41897714; a role model to young women at a time when the profession was still dominated by men; a constant over 40 years of a shifting media landscape and changing world, informing voters about the issues of our time and mentoring young journalists every step of the way."

Quotation of the Day

Indie Bookstores 'Stretch My Existing Notions of the World

"Indie bookstore are some of my favorite places in the world. Since high school I've always hung out in bookstores, exploring shelves, discovering things I would never have encountered through a web browser. I absolutely love the physical connection to books--holding them in my hands, talking with staff, reading the shelf-talkers. Indie bookstores have always been the place to not just find what I might like, but also what might challenge me and stretch my existing notions of the world."

--David Yoon whose novel Frankly in Love (Putnam Books for Young Readers) is a top choice for the Fall 2019 Kids Indie Next List  in a q&a with Bookselling This Week

 Another person passed who was a poet and co owner of Prairie Lights, one of the most famous bookstores in Iowa.

Obituary Note: Jane Mead

Jane Mead http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41901518, poet and a co-owner of Prairie Lights bookstore in Iowa City, Iowa, died September 8, the Napa Valley Register reported. She was 61. Mead was the author of five books of poetry and a chapbook, all of which were collected in To the Wren: Collected and New Poems 1991-2019, published in August by Alice James Books.

In a tribute, Alice James wrote http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41901520: "We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear Jane Mead. Her life was all too brief, and already we feel the loss of her presence among us acutely. What Jane gave us was an extraordinary gift. Her work expanded our poetic philosophy, as she sought to write within, around, and into the certainty of uncertainty, the mystery of our being and our relationship to the natural world. She demonstrated a careful and abiding love for the land and its creatures in her life and work. Her poetry transformed the landscape of American letters, exemplifying what the very best of our craft could achieve.

"A private soul and one known to delight as much in solitude as time spent with dear friends, we see the way Mead's quiet tenacity influences and shapes our desires for living a life of observation, contemplation, and sincerity.... We miss her greatly. We love her dearly. We are utterly changed by her always. Thank you, Jane."

Mead's books include The Lord and the General Din of the World (1996), The House of Poured-Out Waters (2001), The Usable Field (2008), Money Money Money Water Water Water (2014), and World of Made and Unmade (2016).

"An ardent advocate for the writing and reading life," Mead was also co-owner http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz41901521, along with poet Jan Weissmiller, of Prairie Lights, which celebrated its 40th birthday recently, the Register noted.

Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain is a saucy French romantic comedy novel (with a bit of fantasy/science fiction woven into the plot) that is short (about 200 pages) and as delicious as a flute of chilled champagne. Though it's translated from French to English, the translator has managed to keep the novel's French spirit completely intact, as we watch the alluring characters and wild situations unfold. Here's the blurb: Delightfully nostalgic escapism set in a gorgeously conjured Paris of 1954
When Hubert Larnaudie invites some fellow residents of his Parisian apartment building to drink an exceptional bottle of 1954 Beaujolais, he has no idea of its special properties.
The following morning, Hubert finds himself waking up in 1950s Paris, as do antique restorer Magalie, mixologist Julien, and Airbnb tenant Bob from Milwaukee, who's on his first trip to Europe. After their initial shock, the city of Edith Piaf and An American in Paris begins to work its charm on them. The four delight in getting to know the French capital during this iconic period, whilst also playing with the possibilities that time travel allows. But, ultimately, they need to work out how to get back to 2017, and time is of the essence...

The prose is effervescent and rich with details of Paris in the 50s, while the plot, predictable as it is, moves along with alacrity. Being American, I was particularly thrilled with the references to various American TV shows and motorcycles, and I loved how innocent American Bob was, and his wish for his wife to get better. If you're looking for a sweet beach read, or even one for a rainy afternoon in September, this should fit the bill nicely. I'd give it an A, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in a short and satisfying read.

The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire is the 13th novel in her urban fantasy October Daye series. though I have had a couple of problems with the main character, Toby the changeling's vomiting (and not eating regularly) in the past, I must say that in this book she only throws up once, and that is due to seasickness, which is perfectly understandable. She does, however, get stabbed and shot and beaten a few times, so the bloody part of her heroics (and her compatriots lack of effort in helping keep her from being stabbed in the back) remains a strong part of the plot. That said, there were more helpers making a difference here than in past books, and the fact that some of them were octopi wielding knives and tridents made this all the sweeter. Here's the blurb: Hundreds of years ago, the Selkies made a deal with the sea witch: they would have the sea for as long as she allowed it, and when the time came, she would call in all their debts at once. Many people assumed that day would never come. Those people were wrong.

When the Luidaeg—October "Toby" Daye's oldest and most dangerous ally—tells her the time has come for the Selkies to fulfill their side of the bargain, and that Toby must be a part of the process, Toby can't refuse. Literally. The Selkies aren't the only ones in debt to the Luidaeg, and Toby has to pay what she owes like anyone else. They will travel to the fabled Duchy of Ships and call a convocation of the Selkies, telling them to come and meet the Luidaeg's price...or face the consequences.

Of course, nothing is that simple. When Dianda Lorden's brother appears to arrest Dianda for treason against the Undersea, when a Selkie woman is stripped of her skin and then murdered, when everything is falling apart, that's when Toby will have to answer the real question of the hour. Is she going to sink? Or is she going to swim?

Toby comes up with a reasonable solution to all the problems set forth, however, I found the ending confusing and strange. SPOILER: I have questions! Are the Selkies still living on borrowed time? Are they going to be swimming with the Roane in mixed packs, or just sharing the sea? I enjoyed the peek into the world of the sea goddesses, but I found myself wondering when are we going to find the three fae god/goddesses responsible for all these messes that Toby ends up having to clean up, and when are they going to deal with all the havoc they've left in their wake, via their firstborns and their many grandchildren. Still, though the novel starts out a bit slow due to info dumping about what has gone on in the previous 12 books, the sterling prose gets things moving pretty quickly and then the plot takes off and never slows down until right before the somewhat messy ending. I'd give this book a B+ and recommend it to anyone who has read all the other October Daye books.

The Eyes of Tamburah by Maria V Snyder is the start of a new fantasy series that Snyder has published in Australia, which is why it took me about 6 weeks to procure a copy. I've read everything else that Snyder has written, though I loved her Poison Study series the best, probably because I read it first and fell in love with the wonderful characters. This book is something of a departure for Snyder, though it's still a fantasy set in a desert world similar to Dune or Aladdin. The dystopian civilization that the author has built is intricate and unusual, while not being so intrusive that it overwhelms the characters. Here's the blurb: Shyla is a researcher who resides in the underground desert city of Zirdai, which is rules by the wealthy Water Prince and brutal Heliacal Priestess. Even though Shyla is sun-kissed (an outcast from birth, considered cursed by the Sun Goddess) she is still renown for uncovering archaic facts, lost artifacts, ancient maps and obscure historical documents. Her quiet life is about to change when Banqui,an archaeologist, client and friend enlists her services to find the Eyes of Tamburah, legendary gemstones that bestow great magic on their wielder. These ancient objects can tip the balance of power and give whoever possesses them complete control of the city. But chaos erupts when the Eyes are stolen soon after they're found, and Shyla is blamed for the theft. Forced to flee, with the Princes soldiers and the Priestesses deacons on her trail, Shyla must must recover the jewels and clear her name, a quest that will unearth secrets more valuable than the Eyes themselves. 

While I enjoyed the colorful sands and unique animals (floating manatee like creatures that are tethered like furry balloons to the hot surface of the planet, and only come down by dumping gas from bags inside of them when it's cooler), I had a little problem with how cruel and harsh everyone but Shyla was, from the homeless population who try to kill her to the monks who won't help her without remuneration or tests of some kind (or her oath that she will become a monk and stay at the abbey, something she has no desire or intention of doing) to both sides of the political spectrum, with a vicious prince and a ruthless, cruel priestess who keep sending guards out to capture and kill her. Even the "good guys" of the Invisible Sword hold her hostage for a dozen days and torture her the whole time. I found it difficult to believe in a society that has no safe places, no places of refuge for a talented young woman. That said, Snyder's prose is as lush and elegant as ever, dancing along on a graceful plot that moves cautiously at first and then moves faster than a sandstorm. I'd give this new series an A, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys magical middle-eastern fantasy. 

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is an entrancing YA Southern fantasy somewhat similar to Charlaine Harris' works with some Cassandra Clare mixed in for good measure. There's even some delightful reference to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. The author's prose is deep and delicious, while the plot has just the right amount of twists and turns to keep the reader's interest all the way through to the end. I couldn't put it down, once I started reading this hefty tome. Here's the blurb: 

Ethan Wate, a high school sophomore, plans to escape his small Southern town as soon as he can. Life has been difficult since his mother died; his father, a writer, has withdrawn into his study. Then Lena Duchannes arrives, and this strange new girl is the very one who has been occupying his dreams. She and her kin are Casters, beings who have supernatural powers. Getting to know her exposes Ethan to time travel, mortal danger, and love. The teens can hardly bear to be apart, but Lena's 16th birthday, when she will be Claimed for dark or light, is only 6 months away. To save her, they fight supernatural powers and the prejudice of closed-minded people. Yet, good and evil are not clearly delineated, nor are they necessarily at odds. In the Gothic tradition of Anne Rice, the authors evoke a dark, supernatural world in a seemingly simple town obsessed with Civil War reenactments and deeply loyal to its Confederate past. The intensity of Ethan and Lena's need to be together is palpable, the detailed descriptions create a vivid, authentic world, and the allure of this story is the power of love. The satisfying conclusion is sure to lead directly into a sequel. —Amy J. Chow, The Brearley School, New York City, for School Library Journal.

I agree that the style of these authors has the same allure and thrill as the Gothic romance of Anne Rice's Interview With a Vampire. I was spellbound by the creepy magical house and Lena's weird, scary relatives. Ethan's bizarre family, from his broken father to his friends who aren't really his friends, I was hooked from page one, eager to find out what happens next. In fact, I have the nest two books in the series on hold at the library. This meaty tome (565 pages) is well worth the time it takes to read it, and well worth an A. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Sookie Stackhouses stories via Charlaine Harris, or Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. 

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