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Book Review: Carthage Must be Destroyed by Richard Miles
I fell in love with Greek mythology in the 4th grade, or at least that’s when I remember doing my first book report on a book of Greek mythology. From that naturally followed an interest in Roman mythology, and eventually, the actual histories of Ancient Greece and Rome. That means that for many years, I’ve had a passing knowledge of Carthage, the same as I did of Persia. (For an in-depth history of Persia, I highly recommend Persians: The Age of Great Kings by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones.) Recently, I came across both Carthage Must be Destroyed by Richard Miles (2012) and the Fall of Civilizations podcast episode on Carthage and the…
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Book Review: The Goodnight Agency by Tyler Tork
Tyler Tork is another author I have been blessed to meet through Narrativity. Just based on the amazing cover, I was excited to read The Goodnight Agency, and it did not disappoint. Ever since her parents went to prison, Ruby Park has bounced around among her aunts, looking for a place to call home. But Ruby is not interested in being the kind of girl her aunts expect her to be, and finally, she is sent to live with her Uncle Simon. Simon Goodnight tells people he is a financial advisor, but in reality, he helps his clients with whatever they need. That in and of itself is not strange. It…
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100 Word Book Review: A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney
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100 Word Book Review: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much – the True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett
I love books, am fascinated by rare books. I would likely never pay college textbook prices (or more) for any book again, now that I don’t have to buy college textbooks, but that doesn’t stop me from loving beautiful, old books. So The Man Who Loved Books Too Much seemed right up my alley. I loved the information about rare books, but the main story was simply about a con man, a credit card fraudster, who just happened to fixate on rare books. And in the end, I just didn’t find the book as interesting as I hoped I would.
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Book Review: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Marketing material for Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow describes it as YA Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale. The author’s website has a “Bonus Summary for Weebs” that pulls on even more pop culture references to describe the book. And while you may need these comparisons to sell the book, and I have no doubt the author was influenced by all the media she referenced, Iron Widow stands on its own as a great coming of age story where the hero is a girl you can both love and hate. However, to go continue with comparisons for one brief moment, it ranks right up there with Naomi Novik’s Uprooted…
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Book Review: The Dying Sun by LJ Stanton
Last summer, I attended Narrativity, a convention (vaxxed, masked, socially distanced) for storytelling. While there, I became friends with LJ Stanton. Because of that friendship, I purchased a copy of her first book, The Dying Sun, when I got home. I finally got around to reading it in January. If I had not met LJ, there is a good chance I never would have picked up this book, mostly because I would never have heard of it. But the book, a fantasy set in a desert empire, is totally up my alley, so I was excited to read it. My favorite thing about the book were the characters. They all…
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100 Word Book Review – Stacked by Joe Saul-Sehy and Emily Guy Birken
Stacked bills itself as a Super Serious Guide to Modern Money Management, which should let you know that this is not a book that takes itself seriously. Or, I should say, it takes its subject matter seriously but understands we all learn better when we are having fun. I am not a beginner when it comes to personal finance, but the information in the opening chapters was still useful. I love the idea of the pages to print out and hang on the fridge to track progress. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed Joe and Emily’s personalities shining through.
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100 Word Book Review – The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
A dystopian science fiction fantasy novel where the hero is an adult, an actual, middle-aged adult? Yes please. And not only is our hero a parent, she is a woman, a black woman. In fact, almost all of the characters have skin in varying shades of brown. Though to be honest, since much of The Fifth Season is written in second person, I did envision my middle-aged self in the heroine’s place. I finished the book wanting more. It is a great fantasy book with an intriguing dash of science fiction at the end. Looking forward to the second book.
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100 Word Book Review – Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
I often read books and think “I would love to hear this book read aloud”. With Brown Girl Dreaming, I read the book and thought “I would love to read this book aloud”. Maybe it is because the words on the page clearly indicate the book is a poem, or a series of poems, or maybe just because the language, the pacing, the rhythm was so perfect. I loved this book, and I really wished I had someone to read it to. It is the story of a brown girl and her dreams. Very simple, but also just about perfect.
