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