Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Review: Only Beloved by Mary Balogh

Only Beloved is one of Mary Balogh's quiet romances.

In this last book of the Survivor's Club series, 48 year-old widower George Crabbe, The Duke of Stanbrook, decides he is ready to find a companion, a friend, a wife, a lover of his own. The only woman who comes to his mind is Dora Debbins, a 39 year-old spinster and music teacher he met over a year ago. George visits Dora at her little cottage and to her utter amazement, he proposes. She accepts.

During the rest of the novel, we discover the characters. There is Dora's capacity for hope and joy, her vitality and willingness to accept the opportunity to be happy with a man she respects, admires, finds attractive, and slowly comes to love. George will do anything to make Dora happy -- to keep this woman he fully admires at his side. He's almost perfect, but not quite. George gives, and has given so much of himself to others, but has never learned how to accept support from friends. So sad, so hardheaded, so darn huggable!

Most of Only Beloved is focused on relationship growth and characterization. The details about the marriage, how George and Dora get from companionship and attraction to love, are all fabulous. This couple develops a mature relationship with few, if any, misunderstandings. I love that about them. And, although this is not the most sizzling, sexual of couples, there is intimacy, love, and passion between them. Of course there are a couple of personal conflicts thrown in for good measure.

Dora's main problem is her estrangement with the mother who abandoned the family when she was a teenager, creating a scandal and robbing her of a future. Balogh does not rush the resolution to Dora's conflict, as it takes almost the whole book to conclude satisfactorily. George's conflicts, on the other hand, are more complicated. Having read the other books from the Survivor's Club series, we know that George's son was killed during the Napoleonic War, and that his first wife committed suicide afterward, but here we find out that there is more to both incidents. George has never revealed his secrets to anyone. A nemesis is revealed, and it all concludes in high drama.

There are two epilogues: one for the book and one for the series. I don't usually mind epilogues at all, however this time around, the epilogue to the series seem to be a bit much! So many children… I couldn't make out whose child belonged to which couple even when Balogh used the last names! Regardless, it was a sweet ending for them all.

Only Beloved was a lovely ending to this series. A quiet, joyful, happy, romantic ending. Recommended.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Book Recommendations: Military Content

It's Memorial Day, and I've been thinking about my preference for books with military content. I've reviewed enough military-based books within different categories to create a list of recommendations for readers who enjoy them the way I do.


SCIENCE FICTION:

SF Military Space Opera
  Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
  Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
  Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
  Fortune's Pawn #1
  Honor's Knight #2
  Heaven's Queen #3
Military Science Fiction / Romance

LGBT:
  Captain Harding's Six Day War #1
  Welcome Home Captain Harding #2
  Captain Harding and His Men by #3

ROMANCE
NON-FICTION:

Although there are more books I could recommend, this short list includes some of my favorite (note, the majority fall under the military sci-fi category). My list feels incomplete, however, without including a Linnea Sinclair book under the SF Romance category, but unfortunately, I read my favorite books by this author before I began blogging. Bummer!

How about you? Do you have any good military-based, or books with military heroes or heroines, to recommend? How about a few other historicals, and at least one or two in the contemporary romance category?

----------------
*Edited to Add: Linnea Sinclair books with links to reviews under SF/Romance. I did review a couple!!

Photo: Pink Hydrangea Bush

Sunday Weekly Update May 29th

This is the last complete week of the 30 Day Blog Challenge and my last real update. I still have two days left, Monday and Tuesday, since I began the challenge on the 2nd of May.

Monday, May 23rd
…On Vander: The Magnificent Tool 

  • A sort of review I wrote last year right after I read Four Nights with the Duke by Eloisa James. I say sort of review, because my main focus was placed on the male protagonist as the reason behind my issues with the book. I decided to let the post percolate for a while before posting it to see if maybe there was more there for me to say. That never happened, and unfortunately the post lingered forgotten with my drafts until this past week. 

Tuesday - May 24th
@my brother's poetry reading

  • This is a short, personal, but bookish post I prepared for earlier posting. On Tuesday, a headache that later turned into a crushing migraine hit. This was the perfect backup post! 
  • The post is all about my brother Noel's poetry reading at NYU and the release of his poetry book this summer. 

Wednesday - May 25th

  • Could not post because of migraine, however, I posted my prepared post on Thursday. 

Thursday - May 26th
Highlighting: Weaving the Boundary by Karenne Wood

  • This small poetry volume has a fantastic summary that hits the nail on the head. I wanted to include it with my short review, but the post would have been way too long since I also wanted to include an excerpt from a poem. So, I split the post in two. This was supposed to be my Wednesday post. 

Poetry: Weaving the Boundary by Karenne Wood

  • This Native American poetry volume was part of the Spring Catalogue at the University of Arizona Press and I received an early ARC. I read it early and it immediately became one of my favorite books of the year! I decided not write a long review for this book, and instead to post short impressions and an excerpt from one of Wood's poems, and to highlight the summary. I believe that should be enough to give the interested reader a sufficient idea as to Weaving the Boundary's impressive content and true value. 

Friday - May 27th
SF Mini: The Telling (Hainish Cycle #8) by Ursula K. Le Guin

  • I've collected the whole Hainish Cycle series by Le Guin, and I'm in the process of reading it slowly. This is a mini-review of a book I highly enjoyed for Le Guin's humanistic (sociocultural) approach to science fiction, as well as the linguistic / language interplay she utilizes. I am loving Le Guin's work, and savoring each and every book as I move along her back list.

Saturday - May 28th
Break: Memorial Day Weekend

  • This is self-explanatory: Remembering the reasons we are off this three-day weekend before going away to enjoy a few days with family and friends. 
  • My plans for the weekend are fluid; pool party, barbecue with family and friends, getting away from my apartment, enjoying the weather.   

------------

Edited: I scheduled the above to post yesterday, Sunday. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, it did not. Soooo, you all get my Sunday post on Monday!

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Break: Memorial Day Weekend

memorial day photo: Memorial Day image0054.jpg

I'm going to be away from home this weekend, and will post if I can. But, just in case posting becomes an impossibility, these images are reminders of the real meaning behind Memorial Day.

Friday, May 27, 2016

SF Mini: The Telling (Hainish Cycle #8) by Ursula K. Le Guin

Aka is a planet whose totalitarian government destroyed its culture and history in order to build a technologically-based society, with an eye on a future that would take them to the stars. Its citizens are closely monitored, books and ancient traditions are outlawed, as is their religion, the Telling.

The Telling is Book #8 in Ursula Le Guin's Hainish Cycle series. In this story, Sutty, an alien observer from Earth, struggles to find and later understand Aka's long-lost history and culture - specifically, since Aka's culture stands as a complete opposite to her own experiences in Earth.

Sutty's dangerous journey takes her into the heart of the planet, where she finds that Aka's culture, customs, and traditions, are very much alive. More importantly, despite all attempts by the government to erase it from the collective memory, the Telling has not been lost to time. As Sutty studies and explores this ancient religion, her journey becomes personal, and slowly she loses the objectivity and distance of the observer.

Based on Taoism and revolutionary Chinese culture, Le Guin approaches this work of science fiction for the sociocultural perspective, as it examines human behavior in a closed, restricted, society. Sutty's own struggle to understand herself comes to represent the individual's attempt at self-examination while being part of that same repressed society. Additionally, Le Guin is unquestionably a mistress of language, and in The Telling, she plays with language and its nuances: in this case, language's true significance when placed in context with culture.

The Telling is not a quick or fast paced read, but it is definitely profound, and more than worth the time. I loved it. Highly recommended.

Science Fiction
Published by ACE
Trade paperback, 2000 Edition
-----------

Related Reviews: Books by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle #4) 
The Birthday of the World: and Other Stories
Spotlight: Ursula K. Le Guin and The Hainish Cycle Series


Thursday, May 26, 2016

Poetry: Weaving the Boundary by Karenne Wood


Weaving the Boundary by Karenne Wood is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books of the year.

The very thorough summary for this poetry volume states that the collection "explores personal and collective memories and contemporary American Indian realities through lenses of human loss, desire, violence, and love." Yes it does, and, the success of that exploration originates with how Wood expresses those realities through poetry, and weaves history with contemporary issues. Her prose is gentle, lyrical or vigorous one moment, and deeply intimate the next. And haunting, always haunting! This powerful poetry collection shines with truth. Highly recommended.

All four parts of Weaving the Boundary: Keep Faith, Heights, Past Silence, and The Naming are meaningful and intense. Tough as it was to choose, I decided to highlight an excerpt from The Naming.

The Naming (excerpt)

******
Names have determined the world.
To use them, call language out whole,
immersing yourself in its sounds.
We are made from words, stories,
infinite chances through which
we imagine ourselves. Estranging
ourselves from the sensual world
in which language was born, we will die.

What if, as through history, a language
dies out, if its names cannot be uttered
or if they exist mapped
as place markers no one interprets:
Passapatanzy, Chattanooga, Saratoga?
They are part of the ground,
a language of vanishing symbols.

******

Is this what we are now?
fragmented,
a language of shattered dispersal?

Grief keeps watch
across a field darker than water.
We live in a wounded space,
voiceless cries breaking with all
utterance, even the idea of utterance.

Without a vocabulary, how
does the story continue? in words
that have murdered the people
before us, their voices airborne
like corn pollen, out into the desert?

----------
About the Author: Karenne Wood holds an MFA in poetry from George Mason University and a PhD in linguistic anthropology from the University of Virginia. She is an enrolled member of the Monacan Indian Nation and has served on the Monacan Tribal Council for many years. She directs the Virginia Indian Programs at the Virginia Foundation for Humanities.

Highlighting: Weaving the Boundary by Karenne Wood


Evocative, haunting, and ultimately hopeful, Karenne Wood’s Weaving the Boundary explores personal and collective memories and contemporary American Indian realities through lenses of human loss, desire, violence, and love.

This focused, accessible collection carries readers into a deep and intimate understanding of the natural world, the power of language, and the interconnectedness of life. Untold stories are revealed through documented events in various tribal histories, and indictments of destructive encounters between Western colonialism and Native peoples are juxtaposed with a lyric voice that gently insists on reweaving the past, honoring women and all life, creating a sovereign space for indigenous experience. Wood writes, “Nothing was discovered. Everything was already loved.”

Political yet universal, Weaving the Boundary tells of love and betrayal, loss and forgiveness. Wood intertwines important and otherwise untold stories and histories with a heightened sense of awareness of Native peoples’ issues and present realities.

Moving from elegy to evocations of hope and desire, the poems call for respect toward Mother Earth and feminine sensibility. One hears in this collection a longing to be carried deeper into the world, to return to tradition, to nature, to truth, to an innate belonging in the “weaving” of all life.

Publisher: The University of Arizona Press
Publication Date: March 24, 2016
$16.95 Paper; Electronic edition available
96 Pages, 6 x 9

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

@my brother's poetry reading

Long day at work with a headache to boot! I have a couple of reviews on the works, but unfortunately not for tonight. So, a personal note with a bookish theme.

I'm always mentioning my two older brothers, either in posts or comments, mainly because they have always influenced my reading and, hopefully, I have influenced theirs. We read, read, read. We debate, discuss, agree, disagree, and agree to disagree. It's great fun!

So here is some news. Back in March, my eldest brother Noel was invited to read his poetry at the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center at NYU. The first picture was taken during the reading, and the one with the three of us was taken during the reception that took place afterward-- that's my brother Alex on the right.

Noel's next poetry volume, in Spanish, will release this summer. Although I have never mentioned it here before, we are all very proud of his work -- past and present.






Monday, May 23, 2016

… On Vander: The Magnificent Tool

Four Nights with the Duke or is it Vander & His Magnificent Tool? (Vander: The Magnificent Tool?) I haven't made up my mind about him yet, but there is no question that this Duke is a tool.

This romance begins as fifteen year-old Mia eavesdrops on fifteen year old Vander and his best friend Thorn (from Three Weeks with Lady X) as they read a romantic poem she secretly wrote about her love for Vander. The two boys are joined by a school mate nicknamed Rotter and the three proceed to destroy the poem by finding sexual innuendos where she meant none, i.e., "moonbeam" = Vander's tool. The boys also act like fifteen year-old idiots and make personal comments about Mia's body parts -- focusing on the size of her breasts. Mia is brave enough to confront them, but as a result becomes totally self-conscious about her looks.

Years later, Mia, now a successful author writing under a pen name, finds herself in a terrible situation and blackmails Vander into marrying her. When confronted by blackmail, Vander reverts to being a tool by opening his breeches and exposing his magnificence to Mia in the hopes of scaring her off.

This man is a Duke? Supposedly. Vander is convinced that because Mia wrote that poem when they were 15, she is still a spinster and blackmailing him because she must be in love and hot to bed him. The arrogant idiot has no choice but to marry Mia, but doesn't even bother to read a letter she writes for him enumerating the conditions of marriage because: "a wife must do as the husband dictates." And, he comes up with the foolish idea that he will allot four times a year to bed her, but first Mia will have to beg him. Shenanigans, tool usage, and the eating of crow by both parties ensue.

The style used by Eloisa James to develop this story, as well as the type of male protagonist, reminded a lot of Three Weeks with Lady X. Yes, Vander is a Duke but he's very rough around the edges and no gentleman. That is proven by his on and off mean attitude, over-the-top lusty behavior (he's a walking erection for most the story) and appalling lack of manners in his dealings with Mia. Mia is a Lady. Never mind that her father was Vander's mother's lover. It is understandable that Vander gets upset over getting blackmailed, and that he resented Mia's father all those years on his father's behalf. But, really? How old is this man?

Mia. I did not understand how a woman who spent years becoming independent by writing her own books, and is spunky enough to take care of her disabled nephew against her uncle's wishes, spends so much time worrying about having big breasts or wishing she were tall and "willowy." Someone please tell if I am wrong, but if I remember correctly during those times shorter women with curves were considered beauties, not "tall, willowy women."  Maybe when Mia was a 15 year old she did not realize this, but as an adult she did not know this?

So what did I like about this book? I loved a couple of the secondary characters and the interactions between them and both Mia and Vander. I particularly loved Vander's drunken Uncle Chancy who stole every scene where he appeared.

This romance has some good sections with humor, but frankly, toward the end I was just tired. I usually love James' writing style, her over-the-top characters, romps and romances. Unfortunately for me, I never stopped seeing Vander as an egotistical fool. So, Four Nights with a Duke was definitely not a personal favorite. Grade C or 3 stars at Goodreads.
------------------

NOTE: I wrote this review a while back (last year after reading the book) and never posted it, I decided it was time. Oh, and I made up my mind about the alternate tile…

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Sunday: Weekly Update May 22nd

Happy Sunday everyone! It's time to post an update and short commentary for my 30 Day Blog Challenge for last week.

Monday- May 16th
Nebula Award Winners: Books & Magazines
  • From the Nebula Award Winners, Uprooted by Naomi Novik made it to my "2015 Favorite Books & Authors" list. And, I highly recommend Binti by Nnedi Okorafor for the excellent mixture of SF with African culture, the POC protagonist, and the unique world-building ideas incorporated by the author (i.e.: mathematical treeing). 
  • Don't miss the free online links provided for Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, as well as the free online link to the winning short story at Nightmare Magazine. 
Tuesday - May 17th
Review: Eidolon (Wraith Kings #2) by Grace Draven
  • I am loving Grace Davren's Wraith Kings' fantasy romance series, and highly recommended Eidolon. There a few unanswered questions which I'm sure will be addressed in the 3rd installment The Ippos King, due to be released in 2017.  
Wednesday - May 18th
TBR Review: The Brush of Black Wings (Master of Crows #2) by Grace Draven
  • For my first TBR review of the year, I chose another fantasy romance book by Grace Draven. The reason behind it? It is a bridge story between the Master of Crows and the Wraith Kings series containing spoilers (which I did not give away) for Eidolon
Thursday - May 19th
Poetry: Angel Park by Roberto F. Santiago
  • Sometimes when I find a book that touches me personally, I'm reluctant to (or can't) share it. Angel Park is one of those… 
  • Angel Park is Robert F. Santiago's debut poetry collection. After reading it, I'm left wondering, what comes next from this poet? His poetry is vivid, penetrating, and for those of you reluctant to read poetry, I would describe it as accessible with deceivingly simple language. The more you read the poems, the more substance you will find. 
Friday - May 20th
Music Video: Vivir Mi Vida (Live my Life) Ehh… Mi gente!
  • I shared this video because the song itself just makes me want to celebrate life, the moment. This past Friday, that's how I felt. :) 
Saturday - May 21st
Reading Break: A 'Nathan Burgoine Saturday
  • These days, reading one book tends to take a few days and blogging takes time. I decided to dedicate my Saturday to reading one book: Triad Blood a new Urban Fantasy release by favorite writer 'Nathan Burgoine. 
  • Although it is not necessary to follow the story on Triad Blood, I'm anal and decided to reread or read four short stories connected to the characters. Since I already owned three of the four anthologies, it was a matter of going back to them and purchasing the one I missed. 
  • All anthologies are available at Bold Strokes Books. In order: (1) "Three," in Blood Sacraments: Gay Vampire Erotica ed. Todd Gregory. Available on its own for .99 cents or free with any ebook purchase; (2) "Intercession" in Wings: Subversive Gay Angel Erotica ed. Todd Gregory $3.99 (3) "Possession" in Erotica Exotica: Tales of Sex & Magic ed. Richard Labonte, purchased for $2.99, and (4) "Necessary Evil" in Raising Hell: Demonic Gay Erotica ed. Todd Gregory $4.99
That was my weekly recap folks! I did not miss a day for the challenge and that makes me happy. And, hopefully, between the reviews and the links, you will find a few good reads!

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Reading Break: A 'Nathan Burgoine Saturday


I'm taking a break to finish reading 'Nathan Burgoine's latest release Triad Blood. Also, reading a few related short works.

Later!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Music Video: Vivir Mi Vida (Live My Life) ¡Ehh… Mi gente!





It's Friday! Time to chill, time to enjoy life.

Vivir Mi Vida is about the joy of life, living the moment. Not allowing sorrow and worries to rule the day by celebrating with laughter, song, and dance. This is Latin music, so the words are uplifting but the music is fantastic! Everytime I listen to Vivir Mi Vida, my body moves on its own, and next thing I know, I'm on my feet dancing! Celebrating the moment.

The video was shot on the streets of New York City. It has that "celebrity" quality since it was shot when Marc Anthony returned to the City for his 2016 concert. But, what I love about it is the neighborhood "block party" atmosphere it conveys. El barrio was smokin' hot that day.

Happy Friday!!

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Poetry: Angel Park by Roberto F. Santiago




Angel Park, the debut poetry collection by Roberto F. Santiago, explores the intersections of identity (familial, gender, sexual, racial, ethnic, spiritual, class, and linguistic) vis-à-vis the vehicles of travel, or motion from the familiar to the new, the loss of innocence that occurs within the process of maturation.
Let's get this out of the way first. I love this powerful poetry collection, Roberto F. Santiago's strong voice, and recommend Angel Park to anyone who will listen.

Now, let's get down to the book. Those few lines above are an excellent summation of what I found in Angel Park. The collection flows smoothly as it progresses throughout its three sections: Home, Away, and Far Away. That exploration of identity mentioned in the summary -- familial, gender, sexual, ethnic, spiritual, class, and linguistic -- grows stronger with each poem, in each section, and it is fabulously integrated throughout the whole collection.

Although Home holds strong ethnic and familial poems -- "Café con Abuela," "¡Canta Conquí Canta!, "A Blessing," -- they are not exclusive to this section.  Home is where it all begins, however, with family and early personal experiences as the core. The section ends on a powerful note with a few poems such as "Some Birds are Exotic", "Self-portrait of a Boy Kicked Out of His House" and "The Lexington Avenue Line: III. Castle Hill Ave." "There is a boy with teardrops for eyelashes[…]" The end to Home, organically leads to Away.

In Away, the shortest section of the collection, Santiago's poems move away from early youth, gaining strength and momentum. There is a shift which, although personal in nature, sets out to discuss the very nature of racial, class and gender issues, as well as sexual identity. This momentum continues, leading to the last section, Far Away, where Santiago ends the collection by exploring queer life through bold, vibrant poems such as: "The Day He Became Queen," and "The Ways of Men."

Angel Park has been in my possession for a long time; since last year. I have read it many times since then and keep it at my bedside. I could not review it at the time. There is a good reason for that. A poem. The last poem. Was it written for me?

For Those Left Behind

When loss is all you have
left let me remind you
at cinnamon dusk
the dead can dance.

They percuss          the thrash of hearts
                            against their chests
                            with dribble bounce
                            and ball of foot

They timpani          pulse & rattle bone of ankle to knee
                             shimmy-crescendo their hips & neck

They raise              hands like flags
                            waive them like freedoms.

In the realm of the spirit
there is life, and then there is
consciousness. A stillness
of breath condensed

on top of another
like fermented prayer
I can hold in my hands
as the snow crashes down

take comfort in knowing
endings are never
as final as they sound.
This, too, shall pass.

--------------------------
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Roberto F. Santiago has an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University and is a Coordinator of Post-Secondary Education in San Francisco. He is a Lambda Literary Scholar and past recipient of the Alfred C. Carey Prize for Poetry. He lives in Oakland.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

TBR Review: The Brush of Black Wings (Master of Crows, #2) by Grace Draven

This is my first review for Wendy's TBR Challenge 2016 (hangs head in shame). But hello, here I am! Better late than never, right?

This eNovella has been in my TBR since 2015. This month's theme is Something Different -- whatever different may mean. I chose a fantasy romance novella with strong world-building, fantasy elements, and romance to please. I am loving most of Draven's fantasy romance books and thought I would share.

The Brush of Black Wings is the sequel to Master of Crows, one of Grace Draven's most popular fantasy romance books. It is not my favorite, though, that would be Radiance. Unfortunately, I did not review Master of Crows. I did leave the following short comment at Goodreads:
Dark fantasy romance. Slightly unbalanced in its execution with a few slow, and later sex filled sections; but overall, an above average fantasy romance with interesting main characters dwelling in a rich, dark, magical world.
Silhara of Neith, Master of Crows, and Martise of Asher are the protagonists of this series. The Brush of Black Wings begins with Martise going into the enchanted woods of Neith where she comes across the ruins of an ancient temple. She encounters and battles a dark entity, and escapes after regaining her magical powers. While Silhara wants to destroy the temple, Martise feels the need to identify the dark entity. The information she finds is horrifying -- filled with soul eating demon kings, necromancy, and dark magic. Unfortunately for Martise, the dark entity compels and takes her into another plane. As we already know, Silhara doesn't play nice. He will do whatever it takes to find Martise, including breaking the rules of magic, time, and world barriers.

A few comments here. First, the romance is good, it is there. Silhara and Martise are still as sexually compelling as they were in Master of Crows. The love and intimacy between the two are shown in spades. And that dark, rich, magical world is still at the center of the series. The plot itself, however, became problematic for me.

This novella is ultimately about Silhara and Martise, and their end of the story is well done. However, The Brush of Black Wings is not a stand alone. You see, this is a bridge story between the Master of Crows series and The Wraith Kings series. As a matter of fact, in my opinion, this novella is best understood and enjoyed if read after Eidolon (Wraith Kings #2). Why? The dark entity and the circumstances will actually make sense. But, warning, The Brush of Black Wings contains huge spoilers for Eidolon. Recommended to fans of both series.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Review: Eidolon (Wraith Kings #2) by Grace Draven

Kai Prince Brishen, the dead eel, and his human wife Ildiko, the pink mollusk, are back! Eidolon, Wraith Kings #2, by Grace Draven continues the story that began in Radiance, the first book of this fantasy series.

At the end of Radiance, the Queen of Haradis, in her bid for power, opened the gates and unleashed the galla. Demons from the underworld that devour all those in their path. Eidolon begins at this point, with the Royal palace at Haradis, the royal family, including the Queen, the King, Brishen's brother, and his heirs, succumbing to the galla. A lucky few escape, including a couple of palace guards with a baby, and make their way to the river where safety awaits as galla cannot cross running water.

Back at Saggara, Brishen and Ildiko are leading an extremely happy life as a couple in love. The daily routine and happy relationship comes to a sudden holt when news arrives that Brishen is the only survivor of the Kay royal house. The King is dead. Long live the King! The new Kai ruler finds himself in a tough position. First, to save his kingdom the galla must be defeated. Second, the neighboring kingdoms must be prevented from declaring war against him. The answer to both problems is to seek an alliance in order to defeat the darkness threatening to annihilate them all. Still, the galla are dead, and the dead may only be killed by the dead. Desperate measures through ancient magic will have to do. The change of circumstances, however, also affects the relationship between Brishen and Ildiko. Will the Kai accept a human queen?

In Radiance, although political/court intrigue and fantasy elements are well-integrated, romance is at the forefront of the story. In Eidolon, Draven focuses on the fantasy and political/court intrigue aspects of this world, while integrating the romantic elements. Romance is still key to decisions taken by the protagonists, however, conflict and angst are introduced to the blissfully happy relationship already established between Brishen and Ildiko.

This couple faces all conflicts with strength and vulnerability. Ildiko continues to be a strong character. However, Draven shows Ildiko's insecurities in this installment, and as a result, she emerges as an even stronger woman and partner at the end of the story. Brishen openly acknowledges his need for Ildiko. I admire his character for the sacrifices he is willing to make and the almost-unsurmountable dangers he faces for his people. But also, for the sacrifices Brishen is unwilling to make in his personal life. He is a real hero, and this is a great couple!

The world-building for the Wraith Kings series continues to evolve with this installment. I really enjoyed how the Kai's culture is further explored through political / court intrigue, and by strongly expanding the fantasy aspect of this series through magical elements and plotting. The Wraith Kings make their appearance in this book, but you'll have to read the story to find out the who, why and how. Additionally, personal relationships between main and secondary characters, as well as individual contributions made by secondary and tertiary characters, are key to the success to this story.

So, did I like one book more than the other? No. I loved Radiance for the fabulous romance. I love Eidolon for the fantasy, the world-building, the plotting, the way Draven portrays darkness and light, the resolutions, and yes, for the continuing romance between Brishen and Ildiko. Highly recommended.

Radiance (Wraith Kings, #1)
Eidolon (Wraith Kings, #2)
The Ippos King (Wraith Kings, #3) Releasing in 2017

Monday, May 16, 2016

Nebula Award Winners: Books & Magazines

Yesterday, Winners of the 2015 Nebula Awards, the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation were announced by Science Fiction Writers of America. A list that includes a complete list of all the nominees, as well as the winners, may be found at their website. Congratulations to all!

Following is the list of the winners. And, for those interested, I've included a summary of the books and a link to the magazines where both the Novelette and Short Story may be found (single issues are available for purchase):

NOVEL:
Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Del Rey)


Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.
NOVELLA:
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)


Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself ― but first she has to make it there, alive.

NOVELETTE:
‘‘Our Lady of the Open Road’’ by Sarah Pinsker

This novelette is 105 pages long. Click on the title above and you may read "Our Lady of the Open Road," free, online, at Asimov's Magazine's website. The link should take you directly to the story.

Additionally, for your convenience, here is a link to Asimov's 2015 Reader's Awards Finalists List which provides links to each individual short story, novella, and novelette that has either won or has been nominated for an award. All are free online reads.

If, on the other hand, you would prefer to purchase the single June 2015 issue of Asimov's Magazine, where this novelette first appears, please follow this link.


SHORT STORY:
‘‘Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers’’ by Alyssa Wong (Nightmare Magazine 10/15)

This short story may be read online at the Nightmare Magazine. Just click on the title above to read "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers."

However, if you would prefer to purchase the single October 2015 issue of Nightmare Magazine, please follow this link. As an interesting aside: This was a special issue. Here is a description that explains it all:

NIGHTMARE is an online horror and dark fantasy magazine. In NIGHTMARE's pages, you will find all kinds of horror fiction, from zombie stories and haunted house tales, to visceral psychological horror. Funded as a stretch goal of our sister-magazine LIGHTSPEED’s Queers Destroy Science Fiction! Kickstarter campaign, this month we’re presenting a special issue of NIGHTMARE called Queers Destroy Horror!: an all-horror extravaganza entirely written—and edited!—by queer creators.

ANDRE NORTON AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY:
Updraft by Fran Wilde (Tor)


Welcome to a world of wind and bone, songs and silence, betrayal and courage.

Kirit Densira cannot wait to pass her wingtest and begin flying as a trader by her mother's side, being in service to her beloved home tower and exploring the skies beyond. When Kirit inadvertently breaks Tower Law, the city's secretive governing body, the Singers, demand that she become one of them instead. In an attempt to save her family from greater censure, Kirit must give up her dreams to throw herself into the dangerous training at the Spire, the tallest, most forbidding tower, deep at the heart of the City.

As she grows in knowledge and power, she starts to uncover the depths of Spire secrets. Kirit begins to doubt her world and its unassailable Laws, setting in motion a chain of events that will lead to a haunting choice, and may well change the city forever-if it isn't destroyed outright.
RAY BRADBURY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DRAMATIC PRESENTATION
Mad Max: Fury Road, Written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris

What a movie!! Excellent special effects, but explosive is the best way to describe it.

Available on DVD.



Sunday, May 15, 2016

Sunday Weekly Update

It's Sunday and time to do an update for my 30 Day Blog Challenge, and some commentary about last week's posts. I missed posting an update last week, but then, it was Mother's Day. :)

Monday
Update & Impressions of a Reader Turns 7!
  • My 7th blogiversary and a commentary on the current status of my reading and blogging woes. 
Tuesday
…On the 2016 Locus Award Finalists List
  • I loved this list of Locus Award Finalists. I posted my list of books read, but most importantly, a list of books I already own and WANT to read.
  • Update: I have already read one book on that list, and began reading a second. See? It works! 
Wednesday
Tonight: Reading vs. Reviewing
  • Struggling to choose between writing a review and picking up a book I desperately wanted to read. Everyone agreed that I should read! I did!
Thursday
I missed posting on Thursday, so I'm behind one post for the 30 Day Blogging Challenge. Reason? Worked late, fried brain! I deemed it best not to even try posting a picture! :)

Friday
Want to Read: Romance, Fantasy, LGBT Spec Fic, UF
  • May releases I want to read. I already downloaded Only Beloved by Mary Balogh because I'm a huge fan of the author, and I've enjoyed a few books from this series. Also downloaded The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood. This fantasy was a random pick on part mainly because well… Dragons! I'm hoping it will be a good choice.
  • In the meantime, I'm really looking forward to Tuesday and the release of 'Nathan Burgoine's new novel, Triad Blood. I loved his first novel Light, plus, he is a favorite LGBT author whose works (short fiction definitely included) I try not to miss. 
  • Then there is All Fixed Up by Linda Grimes, another random pick on my part. I chose this book because it is urban fantasy with humor. I need humor in my life, so why not?
  • And last, but not least, Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan is part of her "From Manhattan with Love" contemporary romance series. Romance set in New York? Enough said! 
Saturday
Review: Ancillary Mercy (Trilogy #3) by Ann Leckie
  • And finally on Saturday, I wrote and posted a complete review (no mini). This is the science fiction book from the Locus list that I finished this week. Also the book that I was reading Wednesday night! So worth it!! 


Saturday, May 14, 2016

Review: Ancillary Mercy (Trilogy Book #3) by Ann Leckie

Well, the Imperial Radch trilogy by Ann Leckie is done, and what a glorious ride it has been! In Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie brings the story back to the beginning by wrapping up threads, answering questions, and finding resolutions to issues that began in Ancillary Justice and Ancillary Sword. And that, my friends, is one of the great aspects of this trilogy because, although different in plot and atmosphere, Books 1 & 2 are extremely relevant to the highly satisfying end.

The story picks up where it ended in Ancillary Sword, as Fleet Captain Breq Mianaai recovers in Mercy of Karl quarters, with Captain Seivarden Vendaai serving her, the always-needed, required, revered, solver-of-all-problems, tea. It doesn't take long, however, for things to change and speed up as, first, Breq is summoned down to station by the Governor to find an ancillary under custody. She is an ancillary fragment from the Notai ship Sphene, last seen over 3000 years ago. This new character, a vengeful and mistrusting Sphene, adds a whole new dimension to the story.

Closely following this news, Presger Translator Zeiat shows up looking for the previous Translator who was sort-of-accidentally-shot-dead in Ancillary Sword. This character not only adds humor through "cultural misunderstandings," but also provides that alien element in spades. Zeiat is deceivingly friendly and bumbling in her attempts to experience and navigate the human world. Yet, when she attempts to communicate thoughts or opinions about weighty subjects, it becomes clear that she/they (the Presger) do not really understand humans. And, humans don't seem to understand just how fragile and thin the treaty keeping them safe from this predatory alien species has become.

Soon after, a single segment of the many-bodied (self-cloned) Anaander Mianaai shows up at Anthoek Station, looking for Breq, and accompanied by two ships. The tyrant's presence sets up a confrontation between the adversaries, and it takes action in form of a battle, political maneuvering, as well as masterful manipulation, to bring it all to a satisfying end. One segment when the tyrant is many-bodied, you ask? Leckie does it! Read the book and find out… it's a noteworthy resolution.

And speaking of noteworthy, remember those fantastic relationships that Leckie builds in Ancillary Justice and continues to build along the way? Throughout her evolutionary journey, Breq has gained much self-awareness, yet in Ancillary Mercy she comes to some highly emotional conclusions, finding flaws and much needed clarity. Then there is my favorite secondary character, Seirvarden Vendaii, who makes a truly emotional impact in this last installment. Breq's journey would not have been the same without Seivarden, the same applies to Seivarden's journey. Here we see her battle addiction, character weaknesses, failures, and can't help but root for Seivarden as we witness her dependency, love, and affection for Breq. I love the resolution to their flawed, but warm, mutually satisfying relationship.

There are other significant relationships worth mentioning, as well as small details of daily life Leckie incorporates into this space opera. From the secondary and tertiary characters, I enjoyed getting to know Karl Five, Breq's personal attendant, with her priceless white porcelain tea set, her pride, and the stoic love/admiration she felt for Breq. I loved Mercy of Karl or Ship's and Station's strong voices and feelings, as well as, Breq's relationship with the always emotionally conflicted Lieutenant Tisarwat. However, those small details mentioned above complete relationships and fully realize this world: the makings of tea, the significance placed on different tea sets, the sharing of a favorite bowl. These are subtle details showing friendship or deeper feelings that are also used to emphasize an insult, manipulate a political situation, or as a show of strength. All perfectly executed!

I am not going to go into the end, except to say that it was perfect for the trilogy and that Leckie took it to its logical conclusion. I loved this book, this trilogy as a whole! I know this is the end, yet, I hope that Leckie will write more in this brilliantly constructed world. Whatever happens, I will be re-reading the whole trilogy soon. Highly recommended.

Trilogy:
Ancillary Justice
Ancillary Sword
Ancillary Mercy

Friday, May 13, 2016

Want to Read: Romance, Fantasy, LGBT Spec Fic, UF

I am trying to keep it real these days when it comes to purchasing new books to read. Why? My Kindles are overloaded and my reading time is not what it used to be. So, in May, while some other new releases have been placed in my wish list for later consideration, I am looking forward to reading the following:

ONLY BELOVED by Mary Balogh
The Survivor's Club Series, Book 7
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Category: Historical Romance
From the legendary New York Times bestselling author of Only a Kiss and Only a Promise comes the final book in the rapturous Survivor’s Club series—as the future of one man lies within the heart of a lost but never-forgotten love...

For the first time since the death of his wife, the Duke of Stanbrook is considering remarrying and finally embracing happiness for himself. With that thought comes the treasured image of a woman he met briefly a year ago and never saw again.

Dora Debbins relinquished all hope to marry when a family scandal left her in charge of her younger sister. Earning a modest living as a music teacher, she’s left with only an unfulfilled dream. Then one afternoon, an unexpected visitor makes it come true.

For both George and Dora that brief first encounter was as fleeting as it was unforgettable. Now is the time for a second chance. And while even true love comes with a risk, who are two dreamers to argue with destiny?

THE SUMMER DRAGON by Todd Lockwood
Evertide Trilogy, Book 1
Publisher: DAW
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Category: Fantasy
Maia and her family raise dragons for the political war machine. As she comes of age, she anticipates a dragon of her own to add to the stable of breeding parents. Her peaceful life is shattered when the Summer Dragon--one of the rare and mythical High Dragons--makes an appearance in her quiet valley. Political factions vie for control of the implied message, threatening her aspirations, her aerie, her entire way of life.

The bond between dragons and their riders is deep and life-long, and Maia's desire for a dragon of her own to train, ride, fly, and love drives her to take a risk that puts her life at stake. She is swept into an adventure that pits her against the deathless Horrors, thralls of the enemy, and a faceless creature drawn from her fear. In her fight to preserve everything she knows and loves, she exposes a conspiracy, unearths an ancient civilization, and challenges her understanding of her world--and of herself.


TRIAD BLOOD by 'Nathan Burgoine
Publisher: Bold Stroke Books
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Category: Speculative Fiction, LGBT
The law of three is unbroken: three vampires form a coterie, three demons make a pack, and three wizards are a coven. That is how it has always been, and how it was always to be.

But Luc, Anders, and Curtis—vampire, demon, and wizard—have cheated tradition. Their bond is not coterie, pack, or coven, but something else. Thrust into the supernatural politics ruling Ottawa from behind the shadows, they face Renard, a powerful vampire who harbors deadly secrets of his own and wishes to end their threat. The enemy they know conjures fire and death at every turn. The enemies they don’t know are worse.

Blood, soul, and magic gave them freedom. Now they need to survive it.

ALL FIXED UP by Linda Grimes
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: May 24, 2016
Category: Urban Fantasy
The hilarious adventures of human chameleon Ciel Halligan continue in the fourth installment of this original urban fantasy series from Linda Grimes, All Fixed Up.

Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire, has a lot of experience filling in for her clients--as them. A rare genetic quirk gives her the ability to absorb human energy and project it back out in a flawless imitation. She's hard at work, posing as a well-known and celebrated astronaut, about to make a stunning announcement on behalf of the space program...when the photographer documenting the job sees right through her aura. Worse, it soon becomes apparent that he not only knows Ciel’s not who she's supposed to be, but means her harm.

When Ciel's elderly Aunt Helen―also an aura adaptor―is murdered in Central Park, and the same photographer shows up at the funeral, Ciel starts to feel even more exposed. Then more adaptors are killed in the same way, and she becomes terrified her friends and family are being systematically exterminated ... and it's starting to look like she's the ultimate target. She turns to Billy Doyle, her best-friend-turned-boyfriend, for help, but when an unexpected crisis causes him to take off without a word, she's left to rely on her not-so-former crush, CIA agent Mark Fielding.

Staying alive, keeping control of her romantic life, and unraveling the mystery of why adaptors are being pursued becomes a harder balancing act than ever in this new Ciel Halligan adventure from Linda Grimes.

SLEEPLESS IN MANHATTAN by Sarah Morgan
Publisher: HQN Books
Kindle Ed. Release Date: May 31, 2016
Category: Contemporary Romance
USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan introduces From Manhattan with Love, a sparkling new trilogy about three best friends embracing life—and love—in New York

Cool, calm and competent, events planner Paige Walker loves a challenge. After a childhood spent in and out of hospitals, she's now determined to prove herself—and where better to take the world by storm than Manhattan? But when Paige loses the job she loves, she must face her biggest challenge of all—going it alone.

Except launching her own events company is nothing compared to hiding her outrageous crush on Jake Romano—her brother's best friend, New York's most in-demand date and the only man to break her heart. When Jake offers Paige's fledgling company a big chance, their still-sizzling chemistry starts giving her sleepless nights. But can she convince the man who trusts no one to take a chance on forever?

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Tonight: Reading vs. Reviewing


Tonight, I really wanted to post a review. I meant to come home to write one up! But… you see, I began reading Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie last night, and next thing I knew it was 1 o'clock in the morning and I was on page 170! Now, all I really want to do this evening is continue reading the third book of this science fiction trilogy -- this fantastic story that has me on the edge of my seat.


So, what would you do if you were in my situation? Would you sit down to write a review for another book tonight, or would you devour the book?

Me? I decided to spend my evening reading. These days, it is not often that I run home, panting to finish a book, much less do I place everything aside to do it. (I even drank some espresso so I can stay up) The other benefit? I'm reading science fiction!



Tuesday, May 10, 2016

…On the 2016 Locus Awards Finalists List

On Tuesday, May 3rd, the 2016 Locus Award Finalists were announced. As I said in a previous post, I haven't been reading as many SFF books as in previous years. I am not surprised that I only read three books on that list, while many others linger in my Kindle.

Sadly, this is how I stand on each category to date. It is pitiful:
SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL:
Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie (Orbit US; Orbit UK)-- On my coffee table

FANTASY NOVEL
Karen Memory, Elizabeth Bear (Tor) -- In my Kindle
The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK) -- In my Kindle
Uprooted, Naomi Novik (Del Rey) -- Read

YOUNG ADULT BOOK
Shadowshaper, Daniel José Older (Levine) -- In my Kindle

FIRST NOVEL
Sorcerer to the Crown, Zen Cho (Ace; Macmillan UK) -- In my Kindle
Signal to Noise, Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Solaris) -- In my Kindle
The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, Kai Ashante Wilson (Tor.com) -- In my Kindle

NOVELLA
Binti, Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)-- Read

COLLECTION
Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances, Neil Gaiman (Morrow) - Read
Three Moments of an Explosion, China Miéville (Macmillan UK; Del Rey 2016) - In my Kindle
COMMENTS: I am a huge fan of the Imperial Radch series, and Ancillary Mercy was one of my most anticipated books of the year! I own a print copy and an electronic copy. How is it that I have not read it yet? Elizabeth Bear is one of my favorite authors. Why have I not read Karen Memory? The same applies to China Miéville and his collection Three Moments of an Explosion.

I have no real answers to my questions above. My guess is that I haven't been in the right frame of mind to tackle these books. I'm a moody reader. But you know, almost every year the release of the Locus Award Finalists inspires me to read SFF -- the books already in my possession, as well as the novellas and novelettes I usually miss. Hopefully, that will be the case this time around.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Update & Impressions of a Reader Turns 7!

Yesterday was the my 7th Blogoversary. Still seems unreal that it has been that long. I know… I say that every year, but, time does fly.

I feel weird celebrating this anniversary. This past year my blogging took a huge hit. I slowed down in 2015, and now I am struggling to get my reviewing mojo back. I'm not sure if it is the reviewing mojo, though, or that I just need to make blogging part of my daily / weekly schedule again. Is it a matter of practise, discipline, or enthusiasm? I'm still enthusiastic about sharing my reads and thoughts.

I have been reading this year, but truthfully, it has slowed down to a crawl. I find myself taking three or four days to finish one book. That is because these days there are other things to do during my free time. I am trying to make a bit of an effort on the socializing front. My not-so-new job is going really well. I'm loving the work as well as the people. However, it keeps me quite busy and involved so that by the time I get home, I'm done! (More like my brain is fried)

I mentioned reading, so what have I read these past few months? Well, a combination of LGBT, UF, fantasy, poetry, and more romance than usual. No science fiction or literary fiction. I've given those two categories a rest for a few months, even as my "to be read" pile bulges at the seams.

Question: What do you do when blogging or reviewing becomes difficult after taking time off?

At this point, I am trying to reboot by posting something every day for 30 consecutive days. I fear content may suffer by posting daily, combined with my lack of time and brain freeze! However, I'm hoping this strategy will work.

Anyway, thank you for hanging around Impressions of a Reader. I'm looking forward to my 8th year!


Friday, May 6, 2016

Mini: Magic Shifts (Kate Daniels #8) by Ilona Andrews


In Magic Shifts, the saga continues with Kate, Curran and Julie at their new home away from the Keep and the Pack. The peace lasts until George, Mahon's daughter, comes to them with the news that her new boyfriend and fellow member of Pack Heavy, Eduardo Ortega, is missing. Mahon disapproves of the relationship and refuses to actively look for Eduardo, and Jim as the new Beast Lord cannot nay say Mahon as the Alpha of Clan Heavy. Curran and Kate begin an investigation into Eduardo's disappearance that opens a whole can of worms, pitting them against new monsters that reveal the truth behind how ghouls came to be.

Magic Shifts is a transitional, action packed installment in the Kate Daniels series. The action is fierce and steady with secondary characters from the Pack, as well as Julie, making significant contributions. Yet, the Andrews writing team take a slow road to shifting the series into a new direction. Curran is adjusting to being away from responsibility as the Beast Lord and finds a new focus, while Kate glimpses what it means to be responsible for Atlanta, and what future dealings with her father Roland hold. In the meantime, Julie enjoys some serious "quality" time with Curran and Kate as she joins them in their dangerous adventure.

Although Magic Shifts is a highly enjoyable urban fantasy read -- let's get serious, this is a Kate Daniels book after all -- this is not my favorite book of the series. I believe the reason behind that is because I expected a clearer, stronger, better defined shift in the overall story arc now that Kate and Curran are away from the Pack.  Regardless, this was an enjoyable read and one I wouldn't have missed. Now, I'm looking forward to the next installment. Rated B or 4.0


Cinco de Mayo Celebration

So, why am I late posting today? Because I was out celebrating Cinco de Mayo! I can't think of a better reason, can you?

I had a ton of fun with one of the attorneys in our firm, Ms. M., and two of her friends. The head attorney at the law firm told us that we were fired if we didn't go out to celebrate, drink, eat, and be merry. So, that's just what we did! He placed me in charge of making sure everyone had fun. We did!


Above is a picture of me after a whole day's work, a bad hair day (rainy and humid), three Don Julio tequila shots, two Modelo Negra beers and a few fabulous, tasty appetizers. Below is Ms. M. showcasing her favorite dessert, basil/strawberry sorbet, after downing a few passion fruit margaritas and three shots of Don Julio! We had a blast!  We were feeling good! So, I guess we are not fired after all, and we have pictures to prove it.

Why do people celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States? Who knows?

May 5th is actually the date the Mexican Army was victorious over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza. I know many people who mistakenly believe that this is Mexico's Independence Day! Wrong. That would be September 16th. Remember that for future reference.

Regardless, I hope some of you celebrated the commemoration of this historical event with our friends to the South with some delicious, smooth tequila, and / or with some delicious Mexican cuisine. We did!

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Poetry of Resistance: Voices for Social Justice ed. Francisco X. Alarcón, Odilia Galván Rodríguez

On April 20, 2010, nine Latino students chained themselves to the main doors of the Arizona State Capitol in an act of civil disobedience to protest Arizona’s SB 1070. Moved by the students’ actions, that same day Francisco X. Alarcón responded by writing a poem in Spanish and English titled “Para Los Nueve del Capitolio/ For the Capitol Nine,” which he dedicated to the students. The students replied to the poem with a collective online message. To share with the world what was taking place, Alarcón then created a Facebook page called “Poets Responding to SB 1070” and posted the poem, launching a powerful and dynamic forum for social justice.

Since then, more than three thousand original contributions by poets and artists from around the globe have been posted to the page. Poetry of Resistance offers a selection of these works, addressing a wide variety of themes, including racial profiling, xenophobia, cultural misunderstanding, violence against refugees, shared identity, and much more. Bringing together more than eighty writers, the anthology powerfully articulates the need for change and the primacy of basic human rights. Each poem shows the heartfelt dedication these writers and artists have to justice in a world that has become larger than borders.

Poetry of Resistance is a poetic call for tolerance, reflection, reconciliation, and healing.
The events that occurred in Arizona in 2010, and Arizona's SB 1070, were the subject of extensive discussions and debates at my home and among friends and family. As immigrants, none of us took these events lightly, particularly since at the time it seemed to be setting a dangerous precedent that would affect the civil rights of a large percentage of the population. As a result, I found myself identifying with many of the poems included in Poetry of Resistance.

In today's toxic and divisive political atmosphere, this powerful poetry volume is both relevant and sorely needed. Perhaps more so than ever.

As an example, I've chosen to highlight one of my many favorite poems.
OLMECAN EYES

Lorna Dee Cervantes

Olmecan eyes gaze into the future,
a path of light piercing the forest,
heavy lidded with the past, ancient
sorrows carved into stone. With rain,
the present leaks into now, into the DNA
of fallen stars, the mystery of oceans
the settled silt of settling into culture

Olmecan eyes reborn. The infant
stone unfurling in our navels.
Another civilization reconquers
the wilderness of today. Sun devouring
Earth, we are shadows of the way
we were, beneath the shifting planets,
the comets, the desolate inconsolable moon.

Into the history of obsidian blades,
a human heart beats on the plate,
the slate of our division thinning
into someone's blood. The blood of
The People surging still beneath
the pursed lips, the pierced tongue,
the sudden pulse. We are The People

still. Our constitution stolen
from us in the fear. We rise, not
vengeful, but full of the peace
of knowing, our present tense.

------------

Juan Felipe Herrera, U.S. Poet Laureate: "Borders can be overcome with the revolutionary tenderness of poems. This anthology is an incredible assemblage of voices and letters that proves that collective poetry is the answer to the violence-filled policies that increasingly face us in these times."

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Photos: Round Window with Sapling



A sapling growing on the outside of the round window located in the second floor conference room at the office. It gets bigger and healthier every day!

Monday, May 2, 2016

Margaret Atwood | MaddAddam Trilogy

Joining Ames in her 30 Day Blog Challenge, hoping that I can make it so I can get back on the blogging groove.  No excuses, I just need to get back on the blogging horse.



To begin, I'm posting three mini-reviews for Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam Trilogy. I read these books back in February. Luckily, although my blogging has been more than negligent this year, I've kept up the habit of writing notes as I read. The following minis are choppy at best, but will give you a general idea about the trilogy without giving away too many details or spoilers.

Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam, Book 1)

Interesting social SFF. Dystopian world as seen from a male character's perspective. Themes include: Big pharma, Big Corp, gene tampering, an overpopulated earth with declining resources, debauchery, and humanity at its worst, all presented on an overblown scale. All of the above lead to a sort of apocalypse driven by a man's vision of a Utopian future in an earth populated by genetically engineered humans.

All three main characters, Jimmy/Snowman, Crake, and Oryx, are unsympathetic. Crake is portrayed as a narcissistic, Machiavellian genius. Oryx is sly, with a history that could have made an impact. Yet, in the end, her portrayal comes off as vaguely superficial. And Jimmy, our narrator, is the dupe. Jimmy is portrayed as an overgrown child, pouting, whining, and avoiding responsibility and the truth throughout much of his life until he is left with no choices.

Flashbacks are utilized between present (post apocalyptic) and past events leading to the inevitable conclusion. Atwood emphasizes genetic engineering (human, fauna, and flora), as well as man-made drugs, pharmaceuticals, in this book, and in the trilogy as a whole. So, science plays a big role. Pacing is uneven with long slow sections mixed with action, interesting world-building, and an ambiguous ending.

I picked up the 2nd book, The Year of The Flood immediately after finishing this one to find out what may or may not happen to the narrator and main character Jimmy/Snowman, and the genetically engineered Children of Crake. 3.75 or B-

The Year of the Flood (MaddAddam, Book 2)

The Year of the Flood parallels the plotting found in Oryx and Crake from a different perspective. This time from a female point of view, utilizing two different narrators. Atwood again uses the flashback device to complete this side of the story and introduces new characters while including the already introduced Jimmy/Snowman and Crake, expanding the reader's knowledge of events and this world.

Slow pacing plagues this second book, as well as long sections of preaching about the evils of consumerism, control of the masses by Big Corp, manipulation by pharmaceutical companies, and the over consumption of natural resources by humanity as a whole. All this is presented to the reader through the narrators who are part of, and explore the philosophy and prophesies of a "green" cult / religion called God's Gardeners.

Events do move forward and some answers left dangling in Oryx and Crake are answered. Some characters such as Toby and Zeb, as well as Amanda, keep the reader going. There are beautiful sections in this very "green" volume, as well as some extremely violent ones. The pre-apocalyptic world is dystopian and as such it is not pretty or sanitized. Unfortunately for me, there is not much more to be said about Jimmy/Snowman at this point.

The reader is pretty much beat over the head with a hammer with the main themes. Atwood's writing style is accessible, so even though this is a long book with slow sections, it is not a dense read. Quite the opposite.

After finishing this book I went on to find out if Atwood finally addressed the after effects of the apocalypse by reading MaddAddam, the last book of the trilogy. 3.0 or C

MaddAddam (MaddAddam, Book 3)

Zeb's pre-apocalyptic story, his perspective as well as a few others, are utilized in MaddAddam. His journey also parallels some of the other story lines found in books 1 and 2 of the trilogy, and in this last book, flashbacks to pre-apocalyptic times serve to complete the world-building, as well as to tie up loose ends left over from Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood.

In MaddAddam there is hope, as what is left of human civilization begins adapting to the new world. All begins anew. The rest are the details of how the survivors, along with the Children of Crake, get there.

How do they get there? Well you'll find romance, violence, rape, harsh and deadly journeys, as well as a battle with Pigs as allies. There is humor, blue dick jokes, and a couple of psychopaths that wouldn't die! But, the main theme is survival through adaptation. Humanity's ability to go forward, live, love, protect, teach, learn. Survive.

The end is neither the garden of Eden found in the God's Gardeners' prophesies nor the Utopia planned by the nihilistic Crake. What's man's future? Answer: ? 4.0 or B