PRH Sues Iowa over Book Ban Law, Cats for Check Out at Oregon Library, Death of Bunny Munro on TV, Lawsuit Brought by John Green and Others Against Book Ban, Obit Note for Michael Bishop, Grand Gesture Books Debuts in Portland, Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman, To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters, A Cat Cafe Christmas by Codi Gary, Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand by Marcus Chown

Welcome to the wonderful winter of December, my favorite month of the year! My 63rd birthday is on Tuesday, and I'm hoping for a stress-free, fun day where I just read books and eat cake, drink tea and open presents. Meanwhile, this month I've been reading and enjoying some inexpensive ebooks that are surprisingly engrossing.  I've also been reading a lot of stories about the Iowa book banning law and the ongoing efforts to fight it. I'm actually horrified that my home state would do such a thing, as I grew up in censorship-free Iowa libraries and school libraries where no one ever took a book away from me or suggested that I couldn't read a given book because of its content. Well, there was this one time when I had read my way through the Mt Pleasant library's children's section, and when I told the librarian that I had, she asked me if I wanted to read in the adult book section, and when I assured her that I did, and that I read well beyond my grade level, she allowed me behind the velvet ropes into the rest of the library, and never batted an eye when I checked out tomes by John Steinbeck or F Scott Fitzgerald or Willa Cather. So denying children and teens (and adults) access to books that contain "depictions" of sex or gender identity goes against the tradition of Iowa being a place of education and enlightenment. I mean, seriously, there's "depictions" of sex in the Bible! Shame on you, Iowa senators. 

 

Good for PRH! This law is censorship and unconstitutional!

Penguin Random House Sues the State of Iowa

PRH got into the censorship/banning fight in a public, serious, and laudable way this week when it filed suit against the state of Iowa regarding Senate File 496. The recently enacted law prohibits the depiction of sex or gender identity, in any context, from public and school libraries. This is one of (the?) most egregious of these legislative attempts to prevent kids from knowing, learning, and understanding about issues and experiences that are not just common, but healthy, normal, and affirming. May their efforts succeed.

I love this idea, of checking out a robot kitty to purr on your lap for awhile...what a great way to relieve stress and loneliness. I wish to heck that they'd start a program like this in Maple Valley, WA, where I live!

Cats for Check Out at Oregon Library

The pleasures of pet ownership aren’t available to everyone. Allergies, expenses, or even housing prohibitions can limit dog or cat adoption. But for patrons of a library system in Eugene, Oregon, it’s possible to enjoy the short-term company of a cat, albeit one that’s battery-powered.

According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, three robotic felines are in circulation at branches of the Eugene Public Library and are freely available for lending to anyone with a library card. And yes, each has a name: Mr. Pickles, Percival, and Bandit.

Library adult services supervisor Kate Berry told OPB that the cats were acquired partially as an alternative for patrons experiencing loneliness or memory issues and who may not be eligible for live pet ownership. But anyone can check out the cats, which mimic the real thing by purring and meowing upon being touched. (The purring, however, sounds more like a coffeemaker brewing.) https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/robotic-cat-oregon-library

I adored Matt Smith's Doctor on Doctor Who ("I speak baby"), so I'm always interested in any other roles he takes on, as I believe he's such a fine actor and I enjoy watching him inhabit a character. 

TV: The Death of Bunny Munro

Matt Smith (Doctor Who) is starring in and executive producing an

adaptation of Nick Cave's novel, The Death of Bunny Munro

https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQLZwbkI6a9mKkwjSw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nFC8DxpoMLg-gVdw.

Deadline reported that the project is being written by BAFTA-winning

screenwriter Pete Jackson (Somewhere Boy) for indie Clerkenwell Films

(End of the F***ing World), in association with Sky Studios. Cave will

exec produce with Smith and others.

"To work alongside Nick Cave feels like a great honor," said Smith.

"It's a brilliant exploration of love, grief, and chaos. At its heart a

deep, difficult, and tender story about a father and son, coping with

loss and change."

The series will begin filming in Spring 2024 in the south of England and

will be available on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the U.K.

NBCUniversal Global Distribution is handling international sales of the

series on behalf of Sky Studios.

Lawsuit Brought Against Iowa Book Ban

Penguin Random House and several bestselling authors, including novelists John Green and Jodi Picoult, are part of a lawsuit challenging Iowa’s new book banning law that prohibits libraries and classrooms from having practically any book that depicts sexual activity. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/penguin-random-house-bestselling-authors-sue-iowa-school-book-banning-rcna127522

Hurrah to Representative Frost for trying to help schools fight book bans!

I totally agree with him that these laws and bans are an attack on democratic freedoms in every state.

“Fight Book Bans” Act Introduced in US Congress

Representative Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, has introduced a bill to help school districts manage the expense of book bans. The Fight Book Bans Act would allocate $15 million over five years to school districts in chunks of up to $100k each.

“Book bans in Florida and in states across the nation are a direct attack on our freedoms and liberties everywhere. As my home state shamefully leads the country in book bans, we cannot let this censorship and dismantling of our education system go unchecked,” said Frost in a press release. “What we are seeing in Florida and states like Texas, Utah, and Missouri are loud and clear attempts by far-right conservative leaders to silence and erase our Black, brown, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ communities. The Fight Book Bans Act takes a stand against censorship to firmly stand on the side of history, education, our students, teachers, and schools who don’t deserve to suffer the consequences of radical politics in the classroom. This is about protecting our libraries and protecting truth and history.”

 

I read a book by Michael Bishop a long time ago, and I was sorry to see that he'd passed on.

Obituary Note: Michael Bishop 

Michael Bishop, https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQLdlL8I6a9lIBx3Sw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nFD5X3poMLg-gVdw, who "wrote many stories that inhabit the borderlands between science fiction and mainstream, drawing on influences as diverse as Ray Bradbury and Jorge Luis Borges, Thomas M. Disch and Philip K Dick, Dylan Thomas and Tolstoy, but also reaching back as far as the Greek historian Herodotus for inspiration," died on November 13, the Guardian reported.

He was 78.

"The common element in his work was a desire to explore the human

spirit," the Guardian noted, citing early examples "set in vivid alien

and alienating faraway worlds," like his debut novel, A Funeral for the

Eyes of Fire (1975, revised as Eyes of Fire, 1980), and In

Transfigurations (1979).

Bishop introduced the Urban Nucleus of Atlanta, a domed city that

represented an alternate, isolated U.S., and chronicled its century-long

history through A Little Knowledge (1977) and Catacomb Years (1979), the

two books revised and combined in The City and the Cygnets (2019).

His novelette The Quickening (1981) won a Nebula Award, and he received

a second for the novel No Enemy but Time (1982). Other works include

Ancient of Days (1985); Who Made Stevie Crye? (1984); Unicorn Mountain

(1988); Count Geiger's Blues (1992); and Joel-Brock the Brave and the

Valorous Smalls (2016). He collaborated with the British science fiction

writer Ian Watson on the novel Under Heaven's Bridge (1981), and with

Paul Di Filippo for two crime novels, Would It Kill You to Smile? (1998)

and Muskrat Courage (2000), under the name Philip Lawson. He also

published two volumes of poetry, an essay collection, and two story

collections.

Bishop's own favorite from among his novels was Brittle Innings (1994),

"a homage to both Mary Shelley and baseball in which a promising young

player joins a Georgia team and meets their star, the statuesque and

grotesque Jumbo Henry Clerval, an enigma revealed to be the immortal

creation of Dr. Frankenstein," the Guardian wrote.

Another homage was Philip K. Dick Is Dead, Alas, originally published as

The Secret Ascension (1987) but later reprinted under Bishop's preferred

title, in which Dick's sci-fi novels are suppressed by President Nixon.

The Guardian noted that as the Star Wars films, beginning in 1977, "gave

a juvenile form of science-fiction ascendancy, Bishop turned from

off-world settings to paleoanthropological topics," telling Nick Gevers

for the InfinityPlus website in 2000: "Rightly or wrongly, I wanted to

reclaim [science fiction], at least in some of its literary

manifestations, as a legitimate medium in which to examine age-old human

concerns."

This is thrilling, a new bookstore in Portland, OR, that is owned by a POC and is dedicated to the romance genre. I hope that they find a space soon and that their bookstore thrives!

 

Grand Gesture Books Debuts in Portland, Ore.

Grand Gesture Books https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscQLdxuQI6a9lIEpzTw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6nFD8espoMLg-gVdw, a romance-only bookstore based in Portland, Ore., has debuted as an online store while owner Katherine Morgan searches for a physical space,Axios Portland reported.

Morgan, who has worked at Powell's Books since 2017 and currently

manages the store's romance section, hopes to find a suitable space

within the next six months and to open next year. Per Axios, it would be

the second Black-owned bookstore in Portland.

There is a substantial romance audience in Portland, with Morgan noting

that the section at Powell's is sometimes so busy she can't walk through

it, and she's been inspired by the success of other romance-focused

bookstores that have opened in recent years.

"If they want to read a mafia romance or a book about aliens dating,

that's great," Morgan told Axios. "Wherever they find that joy, I'm not

going to have anyone try to stifle it."

Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman is a delightful, if bloody, retelling of the French Revolution with Vampires in the aristocracy and a bright scullery maid who just happens to look like Marie Antoinette helping the Scarlet Pimpernel save the dauphin and his sister. Seriously. Here's the blurb:

Revolution is a bloodthirsty business . . . especially when vampires are involved.

It is 1793 and the French Revolution is in full swing. Vampires—usually rich and aristocratic—have slaked the guillotine’s thirst in large numbers. The mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel, a disguised British noble, and his League are heroically rescuing dozens of aristocrats from execution, both human and vampire. And soon they will have an ace up their sleeve: Eleanor Dalton.

Eleanor is working as a housemaid on the estate of a vampire Baroness. Her highest aspiration is to one day become a modiste. But when the Baroness hosts a mysterious noble and his wife, they tell Eleanor she is the spitting image of a French aristocrat, and they convince her to journey to France to aid them in a daring scheme. Soon, Eleanor finds herself in Paris, swept up in magic and intrigue—and chaos—beyond her wildest dreams. But there’s more to fear than ardent Revolutionaries. For Eleanor stumbles across a centuries-old war between vampires and their fiercest enemy. And they’re out for blood. . . . 

Scarlet is the first book in a wildly engaging new series from Genevieve Cogman, which reinvents the beloved tale of the Scarlet Pimpernel.

I know that this book sounds improbably bizarre at best, but Cogman has a habit of taking a subject that is quite staid and boring and turning it into a wild adventure that has you hanging by the edge of your seat. Her Invisible Library books made librarians into stealthy "James Bond combined with Doctor Who" individuals who treat with dragons and the Fae to get important books into libraries of different times and spaces. While those books were amazing, I was still wary of what she'd do with the awful French Revolution to make it more interesting and less gory. Cogman's prose is sterling, and her plots, which seem to be wild, are intricate and beautiful examples of what a professional writer can do within the confines of genre fiction. I loved every page, and found myself rooting for Eleanor, and hoping she lived to tell the tale. I'd give this exciting novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a surprising and thrilling paranormal take on the French Revolution.

 

To Love and To Loathe by Martha Waters is a 'frenemies' romance that is so well written I barely noticed any tropes or cliches, which is something that usually irks me about historical romances. Water's prose is elegant and crisp, while her plot is substantial and strong enough to carry this witty couple to their well-deserved HEA. Here's the blurb: The author of the “hilarious...joyful, elegant” (Publishers Weekly) To Have and to Hoax returns with an effervescent, charming, and swoon-worthy novel about a man and woman who never agree on anything—until they agree to a no-strings-attached affair in this Regency-era romp.

The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham are infamous among English high society as much for their sharp-tongued bickering as their flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. So shortly after, just before a fortnight-long house party at Elderwild, Jeremy’s country estate, Diana is shocked when Jeremy appears at her home with a very different kind of proposition.

After his latest mistress unfavorably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy is looking for reassurance, so he has gone to the only woman he trusts to be totally truthful. He suggests that they embark on a brief affair while at the house party—Jeremy can receive an honest critique of his bedroom skills and widowed Diana can use the gossip to signal to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover.

Diana thinks taking him up on his counter-proposal can only help her win her wager. With her in the bedroom and Jeremy’s marriage-minded grandmother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Willingham, helping to find suitable matches among the eligible ladies at Elderwild, Diana is confident her victory is assured. But while they’re focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts.

This clever Regency-era rom-com has so much witty banter that it will keep you turning pages til the wee hours, just to see what rejoiners and repostes Diana and Jeremy come up with next! Then there's the juicy romance and sexual tension that the two display, and the spicy love scenes that are just revealing enough without moving into the realm of soft-core porn, as many romances today are wont to do. There is also not more than a whisper of anachronisms, as there are in many historical romances, so the privations and social stigmas and classism and sexism are all still there, on full display, though many of the ladies find clever loopholes in the system. I laughed out loud while reading this wonderful novel, and I feel it well deserves an A, with a recommendation for those who like TV shows like "Moonlighting" and movies like "His Girl Friday" to pick up this book posthaste!

 

A Cat Cafe Christmas by Codi Gary is a sweet contemporary romance that has it all, a fun oddball couple and cats and kittens that charm and delight the characters at their cozy Cat Cafe. Here's the blurb:

A laugh-out-loud, opposites attract romance about three of the world’s most beloved C’s: Christmas, Coffee, and Cats.

Veterinarian and animal lover Kara Ingalls needs a Christmas miracle. Opening the Meow and Furrever Cat Café to find loving homes for adorable, adoptable cats was a dream come true—but with more cats than customers, it’s quickly turning into a nightmare. If Kara can’t figure out some way to get the café out of the red, it won’t last past the holidays.

Marketing guru Ben Reese may be annoyingly smart and frustratingly bossy, but when he hatches a plan to put the café in the “green” by Christmas, Kara realizes that she’d be a fool to turn down his help. And so what if he turns out to be an excellent problem solver and nerdy-hot—he can’t even handle fostering one little kitten. She needs to keep their relationship professional and focus on saving the cafe.

But if Ben and Kara can set aside their differences—and find homes for all the cats by Christmas—they might discover that, by risking their hearts, they’ll have their own purr-fect holiday . . . together.

Gary's prose is light and sweet as a foamy latte, with an easy going plot that is as satisfying as Christmas cookies and hot cocoa on a cold and snowy December evening. And like a good Christmas cookie, I found myself wanting to over-indulge in this delicious story about two people who really need each other, but have a hard time getting over their past relationship traumas and getting out of their own way. Kara almost seemed autistic in her fear of others and anti-social attitude, but because Ben has been betrayed by his fiance marrying his brother, (!) he understands Kara's being gun-shy about relationships. At any rate, I did enjoy this ebook, and will give it a B+ and recommend it to anyone who feels like they don't deserve a second chance at love. 

 

Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand: Fifty Wonders that Reveal an Extraordinary Universe by Marcus Chown is a "breaking down science for the average person" non fiction book of the kind that became popular in the 70s and early 80s. While it's not Carl Sagan's Cosmos, it does provide some thought-provoking insights into how the universe works, and humanity's place in it. Here's the blurb:

A mind-bending journey through some of the most weird and wonderful facts about our universe, vividly illuminating the hidden truths that govern our everyday lives.

Fact: You could fit the whole human race in the volume of a sugar cube.
Fact: The electrical energy in a single mosquito is enough to cause a global mass extinction.
Fact: You age more quickly on the top floor than on the ground floor.

So much of our world seems to make perfect sense, and scientific breakthroughs have helped us understand ourselves, our planet, and our place in the universe in fascinating detail. But our adventures in space, our deepening understanding of the quantum world, and our leaps in technology have also revealed a universe far stranger than we ever imagined.

With brilliant clarity and wit, bestselling author Marcus Chown examines the profound science behind fifty remarkable scientific facts that help explain the vast complexities of our existence.

“The tone is consistently light and breezy...An addictive, intriguing, and entertaining read...A handy guide for anyone yearning to spice up their conversational skills.”—Booklist

“Heavy stuff lightly spun―just the thing for the science buff in the house.”―Kirkus Review

While this book started out with light and fun facts and interesting explanations of scientific facts, once you are halfway through, it gets to be more involved and the math and physics are trotted out in their full glory, which is when my eye started to glaze over. I'm not one to usually shy away from complex lectures on science, at least I wasn't when I was a teenager and when I was in college, but now that I'm an old lady, I just don't have the energy or the mental focus for lectures anymore, sorry to say. So if you don't mind wading into deep waters halfway through the book, than this tome is for you. If you're like me and you get bored with over complicated subjects, then you might want to give this one a miss. I'd give it a B, and only recommend it to young minds who are fascinated by science factoids.