Monsieur Spade Comes to AMC, Reese's Book Pick is Mother-Daughter Murder Night, Fall of the House of Usher comes to Netflix, Two Quotes of the Day Relating to Book Bans/Censorship, Lessons in Chemistry Comes to Apple TV+, Water for Elephants Musical on Stage, Theme Song for Scalzi's Starter Villain, Love Letters for Joy by Melissa See, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, and The Lost Book Shop by Evie Woods

Greetings from the cool and sunny Pacific NW to book people and book lovers near and far! It has been another rough few weeks for my husbands health and my own health, and I've been so busy trying to be a caregiver and still clean the house and deal with laundry and dishes and cooking that I've had a lot less time to read books from my Kindle Paperwhite or my TBR stack. I must admit that  I was looking forward to my "retirement/golden years" for peace and quiet and spending time reading and writing and chatting with friends, but I now have to struggle to find the time to shower and take a bit of exercise every evening. I'm often too tired to do anything but sleep. Still, I get as much done as possible, and today I'm going to review the three books I've managed to wedge into my turbulent schedule. I'm also heavy on tidbits, so here we go!

This sounds really exciting, to see a new version of Hammett's  noir gumshoe in action on a streaming platform.

TV: Monsieur Spade

AMC Networks has released a first-look teaser trailer for its upcoming, six-episode crime drama, Monsieur Spade https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQHawb4I6ahuJxojEw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nGCMD2poMLg-gVdw, premiering on AMC and AMC+ in early 2024. Starring Clive Owen (Closer, Children of Men, The Knick) as hard-boiled private detective Sam Spade, the limited series is co-created, written and executive produced by Scott Frank who also serves as director, and Tom Fontana.

Monsieur Spade, featuring the legendary character from Dashiell Hammett's novel The Maltese Falcon, is set in 1963, with the detective enjoying a peaceful, quiet retirement in the South of France until the rumored return of his old adversary and brutal murders lure him back to his profession.

I admire Reese Witherspoon for her promotion of books she reads and enjoys, and this one looks to be quite a corker.

Reese's September Book Club Pick: Mother-Daughter Murder Night

The September pick of Reese's Book Club https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQHbkusI6ahuJ0gnHw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nGCZOjpoMLg-gVdw is Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon (Morrow). Reese Witherspoon wrote, "In Mother-Daughter Murder Night, a cancer diagnosis leaves Lana Rubicon trapped in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack. When Jack happens upon a dead body while kayaking near their bungalow and quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide investigation, their family must come together to uncover a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of their community. But as their amateur snooping advances into ever-more dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn do the one thing they've always resisted: depend on each other."

Yet another show to look forward to, I'm fascinated by Poe's stories, and in this case they're updated to the 21st century. They certainly have an all-star cast, with Bruce Greenwood and Mary McDonnell and Mark Hamill.

TV: The Fall of the House of Usher

Netflix has released the first trailer for The Fall of the House of Usher https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQHbxesI6ahuJhglGQ~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nGCcSjpoMLg-gVdw, the 8-episode limited series from creator Mike Flanagan based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Deadline reported that the show "follows ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher who have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege, and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth."

The project stars Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Michael Trucco, T'Nia Miller, Paola Nunez, Henry Thomas, Kyleigh Curran, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Sauriyan Sapkota, Zach Gilford, Willa Fitzgerald, Katie Parker, Malcolm Goodwin, Crystal Balint, Aya Furukawa, Daniel Jun, Matt Biedel, Ruth Codd, Annabeth Gish, Igby Rigney, and Robert Longstreet. The Fall of the House of Usher premieres October 12.

These two QOTD relate to the horrific rise in book banning and censorship. I find it reprehensible that people who claim to be Christian and patriotic would completely flout both the Constitutional protections against censorship and claim that it's only modern books that have sexual content, gory battles, misogyny and slavery. It's also laughable that these people cherry-pick their way through the "Good Book" without noticing that Jesus never said anything against homosexuality or regular sexuality. They seem to forget that Jesus was described as hanging out with prostitutes, the poor and sick people, and he loathed the wealthy. Anyway, it has been on my mind, as a bibliophile who grew up in libraries that were uncensored, that the next generation of children in certain Southern states will grow up ignorant of diverse lives and loves, and become depressed because they're different and there is a prejudice against that within their family and/or community.

Quotation of the Day #1

'The Right to Free Expression Is a Basic Human Right'

"Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to hold and express opinions, and seek, access, receive, and impart information and ideas without restriction. The First Amendment states that 'Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech.' Our right to speak, write, publish, and read are protected by the Constitution. This right is not based on whether or not people in government agree with the ideas being expressed. One of the core beliefs of the NCAC is that free expression, including the freedom to express oneself through arts and through protest, is fundamental to both individuals and society. The right to free expression is a basic human right and essential to human fulfillment and autonomy and it is our right as citizens of the United States."--Emily J.M. Knox, associate professor, School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and chair of the board of the National Coalition Against Censorship, in testimony at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on book bannings on September 12

Quotation of the Day #2

'Book Bannings: A Clear Danger to Our Members and Their Communities

"The precipitous increase in book bans over the past two years represents a clear danger to the prosperity, safety, and growth of our members and their communities. Over the past year, we've seen a proliferation of bills in state legislatures that would censor books and limit access to lawful materials in schools and libraries, attempting to codify censorship into law in direct violation of the First Amendment. These bans clearly threaten free expression, equal representation in society, and free enterprise...." Government book bans have no place in American society. The First Amendment exists to protect us from state censorship. It was written for instances such as the [recent book banning] laws in Texas or Arkansas, where lawmakers think they can dictate what citizens can and cannot read. A majority of judges appointed by Democrats and Republicans have ruled against book bans. A strong majority of parents oppose book bans--over 70% according to the American Library Association. The Constitution and the will of the majority are clearly on our side."--Allison K. Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, in written testimony for the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on book bannings.

 I'm also really looking forward to this particular series, based on the spectacular book by Bonnie Garmus. I loved Lessons in Chemistry, and I hope that they do the source material justice.

TV:Lessons in Chemistry

Apple TV+ has released a trailer for Lessons in Chemistry https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQHcn-UI6ahuJRlyGg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nGDp6tpoMLg-gVdw, the eight-episode limited series based on the 2022 novel by author, science editor, and copywriter Bonnie Garmus. Starring and executive produced by Oscar-winner Brie Larson (Captain Marvel, Room), the series will make its debut October 13 on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes. New episodes will follow weekly through November 24. The cast also includes Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Kevin Sussman, Patrick Walker, and Thomas Mann. Lessons in Chemistry is produced for Apple TV+ by Apple Studios. 

I also loved this book, and hope the musical is just as delightful.

On Stage: Water for Elephants, the Musical

Water for Elephants https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQHeluoI6ahucBoiTg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nGDJeipoMLg-gVdw, the new musical adapted from Sara Gruen's 2006 novel, has set a spring 2024 Broadway opening. Deadline reported that the production, directed by Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo), will begin previews on February 24 at the Imperial Theatre. Opening night is scheduled for March 21. With a book by Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher) and a score by the band and performance troupe PigPen Theatre Co., Water for Elephants made its world premiere at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre last summer. 

John Scalzi has long been a favorite of mine, so I'm hoping to get my hands on a copy of his new book, Starter Villain, soon. This song (linked in the second graph) is pretty awesome, too.

Dessa's Publication Day Theme Song for John Scalzi's Starter Villain

Tuesday was publication day for John Scalzi's latest novel, Starter Villain (Tor Books). As part of the celebration, Scalzi, who occasionally commissions theme songs for his books from musicians he likes, asked rapper, singer, songwriter, and author Dessa "to do a song for the book, and, oh boy, did she deliver."

Check out the song and lyrics here https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQCIke0I6ahud0h1SQ~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nHWpClpoMLg-gVdw. "Happiest of Pub Dayz to @scalzi, his new novel STARTER VILLAIN is on shelves in the U.S now," Dessa posted. "I had the chance to read it a bit early (flexxx) and was even invited to pen a little song on the occasion of its release." Scalzi responded "It's so good y'all Dessa is the best!

Love Letters for Joy by Melissa See is a YA romance that's just about as diverse as you can get, with characters all over the LGBTQ spectrum, and POC and disabled people as well. While I fully support all those groups, this book often read like Mary Sue fan fiction or a script written by a newbie writer. Here's the blurb:

A new LGBTQIA+ romance story by the author of You, Me, and Our Heartstrings.

Less than a year away from graduation, seventeen-year-old Joy is too busy overachieving to be worried about relationships. She’s determined to be Caldwell Prep’s first disabled valedictorian. And she only has one person to beat, her academic rival Nathaniel.

But it’s senior year and everyone seems to be obsessed with pairing up. One of her best friends may be developing feelings for her and the other uses Caldwell’s anonymous love-letter writer to snag the girl of her dreams. Joy starts to wonder if she has missed out on a quintessential high school experience. She is asexual, but that’s no reason she can’t experience first love, right?

She writes to Caldwell Cupid to help her sort out these new feelings and, over time, finds herself falling for the mysterious voice behind the letters. But falling in love might mean risking what she wants most, especially when the letter-writer turns out to be the last person she would ever expect.

Joy has Cerebral Palsy, and though when I was in high school I would have been bullied even more if I'd had to deal with being a larger person and also having regular muscle spasms and falling, Joy manages to skirt those issues without much trouble at all. In fact, it would seem that her rival, who is of course smart and handsome, ends up with more harassment than she does, until it all comes crashing down when her secret email "chats" with the schools "Agony Aunt" goes awry. While this book's prose was simplistic, it moved the plot along at a breathtaking pace. All in all, I'd give it a B-, and recommend it to those teenagers who are looking for diverse romances.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is a fantasy novel that combines Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern with GRRM's Game of Thrones and a bit of the Hunger Games and their culture of culling the population via extreme physical challenges to teenagers added in for horror/dystopia fans. This book has gotten so much good ink that finding a copy was like trying to find a Cabbage Patch doll in the 80s...it took some extreme measures. The author and publisher also put out a limited edition of this book that had fancy end papers and gilt edges as well as a dragon in flight near the edge of the book, so you could rifle the pages and watch the dragon cartoon fly. By the time I was able to get a copy, the limited editions had all been snatched up, so I just bought a regular copy, since I was more interested in the story anyway. What I was hoping was for a story that is fresh and new, but what I got was, as I noted above, highly derivative. I started reading Anne McCaffreys Dragonriders of Pern novels when I was about 10 years old in 1970. I read all of the series based in Pern, and went on to read a lot of McCaffrey's other SF/F novels, like Restoree, which I read when I was on the cusp of puberty, which is the perfect time to read a book about changing bodies. Anyway, here's the blurb: Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general―also known as her tough-as-talons mother―has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter―like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda―because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
 

What I don't understand is how reviewers can say that Fourth Wing is "A Fantasy like you've never read before" when you can read a fantasy that was written 50+ years before about dragons and their riders, and immerse yourself in prose that has Yarro's beat all to hell. Yeah, Yarro's dragons are bigger and meaner, and will eat or burn you to a pile of ash if you're stupid or a jerk, but they're still the wise majestic creatures who allow humans to link with them psychically and ride them into battle...for McCaffrey, the main battle was against the environment of  Pern, which has a napalm-like "thread" that falls from the sky regularly and will eat into any organic matter that it lands on. Yarro's dragons are fighting against invaders from another continent who ride Griffins, which are half bird half lion creatures. McCaffrey's dragons are battling for the survival of the planet, which is a far nobler cause than Yarros dragons, who are basically fighting a war based on a lie. Yarros main idea is that governments are full of power-hungry asshat politicians, while McCaffrey's main idea is that everyone has to work together to survive threadfall. Pern's greatest dragonriders are Lessa and F'lar, a couple (and Lessa is very petite but refuses to let her small stature get in her way) and Yarros main character is Violet Sorrengail, the too-small daughter of merchants, who, like Lessa, refuses to let her size dictate her life's trajectory. The prose in Fourth Wing was crispy and clean and yet managed to be nuanced, which is a difficult task to pull off. The storyline/plot moved at a smart, military pace, but there were moments when I fel that the descriptions were too detailed and got in the way of the story's flow. Nevertheless, I'd give this book a B+, and recommend it to anyone who liked the Hunger Games or Game of Thrones or even Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern, which apparently too many people have forgotten...which is a shame.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is a romantic historical fantasy that had some trouble maintaining it's warm tone, but was still a delightful read. Here's the blurb:

The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.

‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.‘A love story, one with books and booklovers at its heart. A warm, wonderful novel that sweeps up the reader into an absorbing, magical tale’

Though I loved Martha's story and the fact that there were so many subplots and people, especially women, trying to fight against deadly misogyny of the past millennia, I found the move from one to another protagonist confusing after awhile, and I had to refer to previous chapters to keep track of who was who and what their story was about. I also disliked that we never found out who the lady Martha cleans for is, or if she was a ghost or just a manifestation of the magical house and bookstore instead. Also, too many of the characters were afraid or abused or cowering from their own relatives or history. Still, the search for the lost Bronte manuscript was interesting, and the harrowing tale of Opaline had a happy ending. The prose was a bit too full of plots and subplots to be anything but heavy and moving at a slower pace, but that didn't affect the story arc that much, although the ending felt rushed and was somewhat confusing. I'd give this book a B+ and recommend it to anyone who has ever wondered if there are TARDIS like bookstores out there that only show up when they're needed.