ABA Tarot Campaign, Review of Stuff Mom Never Told You, The Famous Five Comes to TV, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Dune, part 2 Movies, Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills, Skyward by Brandon Sanderson, Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi, and You Bet Your Heart by Danielle Parker

Welcome to July, my fellow hot book lovers! Temperatures are already soaring into the 80s and 90s here in Western Washington, and I'm staying out of the radiation by holing up with the AC on and reading as many books as possible. My husband is getting home from yet another hospital stay (he fell and broke some ribs and his shoulder blade) today, so because I'll be taking care of him, my reading time will be somewhat curtailed. Still, it will be good to have him home and healing. Meanwhile, I hope you sun worshipers can grab a good "beach read" while having fun in the sun! 

This sounds like a boatload of fun! I am a fan of Tarot cards, and I enjoy reading them for entertainment, of course, as I don't really have the gift of divination.

ABA Launches 'The Future Is Indie' Campaign With Tarot Readings

To counter the next Amazon Prime Day, scheduled for July 11 and 12, the American Booksellers Association is launching "The Future Is Indie" campaign, which "champions the importance of independent businesses in shaping the future. The campaign seeks to inspire consumers to actively engage with independent businesses and make conscious choices that contribute to a better future--more economically sound, more vibrant, more interesting, and more diverse."

A highlight of the summer campaign is a mini-Oracle deck of six tarot cards (r.), which can be used to do "fun and informed bookish readings as they relate to the indie bookstore experience from a reader's perspective. The card readings range from engaging one's curiosity, to fighting temptation, to receiving personal recommendations." The campaign also includes digital assets, printable posters, suggested copy, as well as "The Future Is Indie" T-shirts available from Bonfire.

I need to find a copy of this book, which sounds wonderful. I come from a long line of feminist, tea-drinking women who were strong and intelligent and survived all kinds of misogyny. If nothing else it sounds like there's a lot of sections with historic feminist trivia that I would find fascinating.

Review: Stuff Mom Never Told You

A well-read feminist reviewer of a certain age who encounters Stuff Mom Never Told You: The Feminist Past, Present, and Future may find herself sheepishly wondering: How much can she learn about feminism from a couple of young women? Answer: lots, if those women are Anney Reese and Samantha McVey, cohosts of iHeartMedia's intersectional feminism-minded podcast Stuff Mom Never Told You. Their book of this name is as elucidating as it is galvanizing.

In their authors' note, Reese and McVey say that the decade-old podcast (of which they aren't the original hosts) began "with the goal of examining everything and anything through a feminist lens," and their book shares this mission statement. It's a feminist smorgasbord in six themed chapters: on women in sports, on reproductive rights, and so on.

As with any smorgasbord, there's a range of textures and tastes: each chapter features a condensed graphic novel illustrated by Helen Choi that introduces the topic at hand; a fictional cautionary tale that hypothesizes what would have happened if progress (Roe v. Wade, gay marriage) had been thwarted; and straight-up reporting on how progress was made.

If the book's clustered mini-profiles of activists representing a range of social justice movements come across as the smorgasbord's nutritive but unexciting vegetables, other sections are dessert: there are pop culture riffs, a crossword puzzle about disability rights, etc. As for things not clocked by even a seasoned feminist: Who knew that women are bigger consumers of horror than men are? And that Hugh Hefner's Playboy Foundation funded the first 10,000 rape kits?

The most powerful moments in Stuff Mom Never Told You are found in the book's "journal entry" sections, in which Reese and McVey grapple with their place in the world. (Each author's personal take is distinguished by a thumbnail of her Funko toy-style likeness.)

There's also commentary via occasional capsule-size outbursts, such as when Reese writes: "I maintain that while I'm not condoning the violent, vengeful actions of the character Ellie in The Last of Us Part II, I feel very strongly a male character doing the same thing would not have attracted the same vitriol." With its breezy tone and Feminism 101-heavy content, Stuff Mom Never Told You is a fine entry point for newbie feminists and feminism-curious young adults. For older feminists, the book offers some new info and the reassurance that there are righteous young women out there flying the flag high. --Nell Beram, author and freelance writer

I remember reading some of Enid Blyton's childrens books on the recommendation of my friend RM Larson's mother, a children's book author herself. They were wonderful, and I look forward to seeing what this filmmaker does with her "5" series.

TV: The Famous Five

Noting that it is "safe to say that no one saw this one coming," the Hollywood Reporter wrote that Danish filmmaker and "enfant terrible" Nicolas Winding Refn, director of Drive, The Neon Demon, and the Pusher trilogy, "has been tapped to reboot" The Famous Five, a limited series based on Enid Blyton's classic children's books. Blyton wrote 21 books, beginning with Five on a Treasure Island, first published in 1942. They have been adapted for television multiple times.

Refn will be creator and producer on the new series, which has begun filming across the southwest of the U.K. He is executive producing through his by NWR Originals company together with BBC Studios-backed Moonage Pictures for the BBC and German public broadcaster ZDF. Tim Kirkby (The Pentaverate) will direct the three 90-minute episodes of The Famous Five.

"This Famous Five will be a modern, timely and irreverent action series with adventure at its heart," said Will Gould, co-founder of Moonage Pictures.

"All my life I've fought vigorously to remain a child with a lust for adventure," Refn noted. "By reimagining The Famous Five, I am preserving that notion by bringing these iconic stories to life for a progressive new audience, instilling the undefinable allure and enchantment of childhood for current and future generations to come."

These are two movies that I'm also really excited to see, the first because I loved the TV adaptation of Daisy Jones and the Six, and the second because I've been a fan of Dune for decades...first as the books and later as the movie that everyone loves to hate.

Movies: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo; Dune, Part Two

Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) will direct Netflix's highly-anticipated adaptation of the novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTZlusI6ahkcB93Tg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTC5ejpoMLg-gVdw by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Deadline reported. Liz Tigelaar, creator and showrunner for Tiny Beautiful Things, wrote the script. Liza Chasin is producing for 3Dot Productions while Brad Mendelsohn will produce for Circle of Confusion. Jenkins Reid and Margaret Chernin will exec produce.

A new trailer has been released for Netflix's Dune: Part Two

https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTZlusI6ahkcB93Tw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTC5ejpoMLg-gVdw, based on the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert. IndieWire reported that unlike Dune: Part One, the sequel "will solely have a theatrical release well ahead of PVOD and streaming. Part One had a day-and-date debut on Warner Bros. Pictures' streamer HBO Max during its release amid the Covid-19 pandemic."

Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills is a YA fantasy/romance combined with an adventure/quest that will keep you turning pages into the wee hours. I couldn't put it down, though it contained some of the old tropes that most fantasy fans have seen time and again, from authors like JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, and JK Rowling. Here's the poor orphaned or neglected girl/boy who ends up being nearly enslaved by some nasty middle aged woman who puts her down and constantly tells her she's worthless. Along comes a wild and crazy looking person who engages the poor orphan and takes them on an adventure that will change the orphan's live forever. This is true for Hagrid and Harry Potter, for Frodo and Gandalf, and in this book it's poor apprentice Aurelie and the magical "hidden princess" Iliana. Here's the blurb:

 

A baker’s apprentice reluctantly embarks on an adventure full of magic, new friendships, and a prince in distress in this deliciously romantic young adult fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Gail Carson Levine.

It’s not all sugar and spice at Basil’s Bakery, where seventeen-year-old Aurelie is an overworked, underappreciated apprentice. Still, the job offers stability, which no-nonsense Aurelie values highly, so she keeps her head down and doesn’t dare to dream big—until a stranger walks in and hands her a set of Seeking stones. In a country where Seeking was old-fashioned even before magic went out of style, it’s a rare skill, but Aurelie has it.

The stranger, who turns out to be a remarkably bothersome bounty hunter named Iliana, asks for Aurelie’s help rescuing someone from the dangerous Underwood—which sounds suspiciously like an adventure. When the someone turns out to be Prince Hapless, the charming-but-aptly-named prince, Aurelie’s careful life is upended. Suddenly, she finds herself on a quest filled with magic portals, a troll older than many trees (and a few rocks), and dangerous palace intrigue.

Even more dangerous are the feelings she’s starting to have for Hapless. The more time Aurelie spends with him, the less she can stand the thought of going back to her solitary but dependable life at the bakery. Must she choose between losing her apprenticeship—or her heart?

Mill's prose is charming and lyrical, while her plot flies by relentlessly. But it's her characters that really shine here, and once they're well on their way in the quest adventure, there's a great deal of witty banter and sweet moments to look forward to, so readers will never be bored. There's even a sincere HEA that proves tremendously satisfying. I'd give this delightful novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who loves traditional fantasy quests with strong female protagonists.

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson is a YA science fiction/adventure novel that has elements of Battlestar Galactica (the original TV series) and Top Gun, as well as dystopian movies/books like the Hunger Games and Divergent. Here's the blurb:  

From Brandon Sanderson, the author of the bestselling Mistborn series, comes the first book in an epic new series about a girl who dreams of becoming a pilot in a dangerous world at war for humanity's future.

Spensa's world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what's left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa's dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's--a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa's chances of attending flight school at slim to none.

No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars.

"Startling revelations and stakes-raising implications...Sanderson plainly had a ball with this nonstop, highflying opener, and readers will too."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Sanderson's excellent prose matched with his engaging characters makes the plot fly faster than the space ships on Spensa's homeworld. I gulped this book down in record time, because I just couldn't wait to see what happened next, and how Spensa would find out the truth about her father and his dishonorable behavior before he died. Sanderson sets up a tangy mystery and then twists the whole plot toward the end, with something no one could have seen coming. I was shocked, and I'm usually one step ahead of authors when it comes to mysteries within any given novel. My one complaint is the consistent attention drawn to Spensa's diet of eating rats. Shudder. But that one small gross detail wasn't enough to put me off of this splendid book. I'd give it an A-, and recommend it to anyone who likes stories of young women coming of age in another world, and stories of women pilots and the sacrifices they have to make to take to the skies.

Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi is a short story from an anthology called The Far Reaches. This science fiction tale reminded me of Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke, in that it was full of technical detail about space travel and what kind of planets one is likely to find in the far reaches of space. Here's the blurb:

An artificial intelligence on a star-spanning mission explores the farthest horizons of human potential—and its own purpose—in a mind-bending short story by New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi.

Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years. In the space between, the AI has plenty of time to think about life, the vastness of the universe, everything it was meant to do, and—with a perspective created but not limited by humans—what it should do.

John Scalzi’s Slow Time Between the Stars is part of The Far Reaches, a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

I'm a big fan of Scalzi's books, but this story was more serious and different than his other works, which always have a strong sense of humor/sarcasm running through them. Not so with our immortal space AI, which is tasked with finding a new home for humanity, no matter how long it takes. Unfortunately, it takes thousands of years, and with each passing millennia, the AI's mission becomes diluted by it's own sense of hubris. Another odd thing is that this story doesn't have the traditional beginning, middle and end. It's sort of a stream-of-consciousness diary of what the AI probe is seeing and thinking about. I was somewhat underwhelmed by the AI who loses it's mission on purpose, because that rendered it useless to human interests. So I'd give this rather bland short story a B-, and recommend it only to those who are interested in deep space exploration from a scientific POV.

You Bet Your Heart by Danielle Parker is a YA romance that starts out with a strong female protagonist, but ends with a young woman who sacrifices her dream for the love of a boy, which is sad and misogynistic. Here's the blurb:

A riveting, swoon-worthy teen romance centered on two high achievers fighting for the title of high school valedictorian and falling in love along the way, from debut author Danielle Parker.

Sasha Johnson-Sun might not know everything—like how to fully heal after her dad’s passing or how many more Saturdays her mom can spend cleaning houses. But the one thing Sasha is certain of? She will graduate this year as Skyline High’s class valedictorian.

At least, she was sure before the principal calls Sasha and her cute, effortlessly gifted ex–best friend, Ezra Davis-Goldberg, into his office to deliver earth-shattering news: they’re tied for valedictorian and the scholarship attached…

This outcome can’t be left to chance. So, Sasha and Ezra agree on a best-of-three, winner-take-all academic bet. As they go head-to-head, they are forced not only to reexamine why they drifted apart but also to figure out who they’ve become since. With her future hanging in the balance, Sasha must choose: honor her family’s sacrifices by winning (at all costs) or give her heart a shot at finding happiness?

I just don't understand WHY it is always the girl/woman who has to give up her scholarship, college career, successful business, entire life for the guy in these romance books/movies (especially Hallmark movies! The woman ALWAYS gives up her great career and life to go and help/support the guy's family farm or dream business somewhere in the middle of nowhere, or even in a completely different country! It's ridiculous!)...it makes no sense to me. If HE really loves HER as much as he claims to, why can't he give up whatever failing business he's barely keeping afloat and move to the city and support her in her career while he finds a new path along the way? Sasha's mother has worn herself down to a nubbin supporting her daughter and raising her by herself, and Sasha has worked extremely hard to get top grades and has even set up a great tutoring program to help others, when Ezra just swoops in an takes over her tutoring program and undermines her at every turn and seduces her (and for some reason she becomes a slow-witted idiot at the sight of him...really? Girls are that much of a slave to their hormones? That's so false and sexist!) so that she gives up on the bet and scholarship and lets Ezra win, though he's from a very wealthy family and DOESN'T NEED the SCHOLARSHIP money at all! So her dreams are down the toilet but he's got it all, once again, mainly because he's good looking?! Really? That's just sad, and sickening, and the opposite of an empowering message for young women of today. Though the prose is bright and the plot moves at a decent pace, I'd give this book a C, and I wouldn't recommend it to any young woman looking to follow her dreams of higher education and a great, fulfilling career.