Thursday, April 25, 2024

Science fiction and fantasy

Misha Burnett's Endless Summer: Twelve Strange Tales of Mankind's Future ~ by Misha Burnett, edited by P Alexander, 2020, science fiction, 193 pages
Misha Burnett is a master of the macabre and champion of the New Wave.  His talent for tales runs the gamut of weird fiction from contemporary Urban Fantasy to Sword & Sorcery to Science Fiction, all with his unique (and slightly twisted) take!

Misha Burnett's Endless Summer is a collection of strange and chilling tales of humankind's future, near and distant, from tomorrow until beyond the mark of history, through civilization's zenith, decline, destruction, and ultimately, the rebirth of humans!

Embark on an incredible and breathtaking journey across the ages, beginning with the time-travel thriller "The Bullet from Tomorrow" and running through eleven original stories that hold up a mirror to the worst and, more importantly, the best that humanity has to offer.

Small Worlds
~ by Misha Burnett, 2023, science fiction and fantasy, 240 pages
Small Worlds has all of the hallmarks of Misha Burnett’s fusion of Science Fiction & Fantasy (SFF) with classic weird, inviting the reader into the uncanny realms where the mundane has been pervaded by the strange, but also brings to the table his unique brand of white-knuckle thrilling adventure.

The story behind these stories

I was talking to a friend about books, and she mentioned this writer.  So I came home and looked him up.  Those of you who've been reading my blog know some of my very favorite books are science fiction, right?  So I looked up this author, liked what I saw, and bought one of his books for my Kindle.  Guess what I'll be reading in the near future!

I downloaded the top one, with the stories.  I chose it because the man from the future in the first story is given the fictitious name "Ernie Sutcliffe" (p. 15).  I knew that because I read the sample Amazon allows us to peruse.  Look at that name again.  "Sutcliffe" is an English name, derived from the "South Cliffs" of Dover.  Friends know why I'd notice that.

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

TWOsday ~ two books in one (plus a short story)

Two Deadly Doves: Six Geese A-Slaying and Duck the Halls (Meg Langslow Mysteries) ~ by Donna Andrews, 2015, humorous mysteries, 608 pages

Here are two side-splitting Christmas mysteries and an all-new short story from the Meg Langslow series, collected in one edition for fans of The New York Times bestselling author, Donna Andrews.  From ducks to geese to nightingales, Donna Andrews knows her birds!

This special collection starts with Six Geese A-Slaying, centered around the Caerphilly holiday parade.  When the local curmudgeon playing Santa is murdered, it's up to Meg and Chief Burke to tackle a two-fold mission:  Solve the murder and save Christmas…

Next in Duck the Halls, an unknown prankster is setting skunks and ducks loose in the New Life Baptist Church, seemingly to derail the Christmas concert.  Before they can find the culprit, though, an elderly vestryman is found dead.  Who would have murdered such a harmless old man?  And will Meg Langslow ever be able to finish all of her shopping, wrapping, cooking, and decorating in time for Christmas Eve?

Monday, April 22, 2024

Monday Musing

Life of the Beloved ~ by Henri J. M. Nouwen, 1992 (Guide for Reflection, 2002), spiritual life, 160 pages

Among the most popular of Henri Nouwen's books, Life of the Beloved was initially written for a Jewish friend, and went on to become Henri Nouwen’s greatest legacy.  As I flipped the pages before starting to read, I noticed quotes set apart in several places.  These stood out for me to consider and meditate on:
  • You are free to do what you want — if, that is, you really want it! (p. 14).
  • Each human being suffers in a way no other human being suffers. (p. 88).
  • Our greatest fulfillment lies in giving ourselves to others. (p. 107).
  • The real question is not "What can we offer each other?" but "Who can we be for each other?" (p. 112).

Sunday, April 21, 2024

Silent book clubs???

Book Clubs ~ revised

Yesterday, I got an email from one of my neighbors, saying:
Hi ladies - I just read in the Washington Post book club newsletter about silent book clubs where people bring a book they’re reading and read together for an hour. Silently of course. They do not read the same book. There are a couple of silent book club in St. Louis I found out via the website. One is meeting today at Queeny Park.
This is what she is currently reading, and (yikes!) it's 560 pages long:

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution ~ by R.F. Kuang, 2022, speculative historical fiction, 560 pages

An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.  1828.  Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell.  There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation — also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic.  Silver working — the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars — has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.  But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland.  As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion.  When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide.  Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?
Silent book club?

So back to my subject.  Silent book club?  Sorry, but not for me.  It would seem like catching a city bus or riding the NY subway to dip into my book, with people walking through the Community Room or CafĂ© while we read "silently" without ever being able to ask anyone "Did you notice this?" or "Did that make sense to you?" because nobody is reading (or has read) the same book.  So what's the point?  As an introvert, I'd rather curl up in a comfy chair or sofa and "go into" the novel's setting without distractions beyond a phone call or a knock on my door, which rarely happens.

Deb at Readerbuzz hosts the Sunday Salon

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Mr. Terupt series of juvenile fiction

Because of Mr. Terupt
(Book 1 of 4) ~ by Rob Buyea, 2010, juvenile fiction, 288 pages
It’s the start of a new year at Snow Hill School, and seven students find themselves thrown together in Mr. Terupt’s fifth grade class.  There’s . . . Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.
They don’t have much in common, and they’ve never gotten along.  Not until a certain new teacher arrives and helps them to find strength inside themselves — and in each other.  But when Mr. Terupt suffers a terrible accident, will his students be able to remember the lessons he taught them?  Or will their lives go back to the way they were before — before fifth grade and before Mr. Terupt?

Find out what happens in sixth and seventh grades in Mr. Terupt Falls Again and Saving Mr. Terupt.  And don't miss the conclusion to the series, Goodbye, Mr. Terupt.
Mr. Terupt Falls Again
(Book 2 of 4) ~ by Rob Buyea, 2013, juvenile fiction, 400 pages
Mr. Terupt’s class is spending one more year with him before they graduate and head off to junior high.  But for seven students, sixth grade comes with its own set of challenges.  Peter's parents expect him to attend private school after sixth-grade, but Peter has plans to stay right where he is.  Eager to grow up, Alexia gets in over her head with some older kids.  Danielle suspects that her family is keeping a secret from her, and she's determined to find out what it is.  Jeffrey makes a life-changing discovery.  Curious about her teacher's past, Jessica uncovers startling details about Mr. Terupt.  Anna finally decides she's ready for the truth about her absent dad.  And Luke's keen observations lead to questions with unexpected answers. 

It's a roller coaster of a year as Mr. Terupt helps his students be the best they can be — and enlists their help to pull off an extra-special project.  But are happy endings on the horizon?  Or will everyone fall all over again?
Saving Mr. Terupt (Book 3 of 4) ~ by Rob Buyea, 2013, juvenile fiction, 400 pages
The kids from Mr. Terupt’s fifth- and sixth-grade classes are entering their first year of junior high school.  There’s a lot to be excited about, but starting at a new school isn’t easy. Peter and Jeffrey face tough competition on their wrestling team.  Alexia has a disastrous first day of school, and that’s only the beginning.  Anna is desperate for Charlie to propose to her mother — what is he waiting for?!  Danielle isn’t feeling so well, but she's trying to tough it out, like Grandma.  Trouble with a bully makes Luke dread going to school for the first time ever.  And Jessica is waiting anxiously for an acceptance to a theater retreat in New York City.
 
Everyone is missing Mr. Terupt.  When a fight threatens to break up the group forever, they think their favorite teacher is the only one who can help them.  But the kids soon find out that it’s Mr. Terupt who needs saving.
Goodbye, Mr. Terupt
(Book 4 of 4) ~ by Rob Buyea, 2020, juvenile fiction, 416 pages
The seven kids who bonded in Mr. Terupt's fifth-grade class are in eighth grade now and reunited with their beloved teacher.  Readers will once again be inspired by how the kids face their challenges and by the adults who help them along the way.

Jeffrey, Alexia, Anna, Danielle, Luke, Peter, and Jessica are thrilled to have their beloved teacher, Mr. Terupt, back for the school year as their biweekly adviser.  They still rely on him for guidance on so many things, including these dilemmas:

JEFFREY wants to make varsity wrestling, but at what cost?  Worried that she may have the same cancer gene as her mom, ALEXIA takes a DNA test — only she's scared to open the results.  Neglected by her soon-to-be-married mom, and wounded by Jeffrey's callous brush-off, ANNA keeps her hurt feelings bottled up — until she can't.  DANIELLE has ups and downs with her diabetes, but her budding romance with Luke proves to be the real challenge.  LUKE's tackling lots of difficult schoolwork, none of it harder than letting Danielle know he likes her.  Anxious about her dad's return, JESSICA pours her heart into writing poetry.  Angry at what he thinks is a betrayal, PETER gives Mr. Terupt the silent treatment.

To celebrate their remaining time with Mr. Terupt, the students hatch bucket-list type projects to make the school year important, memorable, and way bigger than just the group.  Will the gang stick together down to the final project?  Will their friendships endure after the difficult goodbye?
Deb at Readerbuzz hosts the Sunday Salon

Friday, April 12, 2024

Beginning ~ on a deserted beach

Beginning
Sam and I are sitting on a mostly deserted beach on Lake Michigan a little north of the Drake Hotel in Chicago.  The Drake is filled with treasured memories for both of us, and we had dinner at our favorite table there earlier.  I need to be with Sam tonight, because it's one year since, well, everything happened that shouldn't have happened — it's one year since Danny died.

Sam's Letters to Jennifer ~ by James Patterson, 2004, contemporary fiction (Wisconsin), 288 pages, 6/10

Have you ever gotten a letter that changed your life completely?  In this novel, a woman is summoned back to the town where she grew up.  And in the house where she spent her most magical years, she finds a series of letters addressed to her.  Each of those letters is a piece of a story that will upend completely the world she thought she knew — and throw her into a love more powerful than she ever imagined could be possible.  Two extraordinary love stories are entwined here, full of hope and pain and emotions that never die down.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Let's celebrate libraries (and books!)

National Library Week was first observed in the United States in 1958 and was sponsored by the American Library Association, according to Wikipedia.  This special week is now celebrated by a number of countries each April.  In 2024, the week we celebrate is from Sunday, April 7th to Saturday, April 13th.  We are already halfway through the week, but at least I didn't miss it entirely!