When I got to work tonight, the first thing I saw was the Official Robert B. Parker Facebook page announcing that his widow, Joan Parker died today, apparently from lung cancer. Beyond a few TV interviews over the years, and the fictionalized/idealized version of her as Susan Silverman, it’s not like I knew the woman. But you when you read 60 or so dedications, “For Joan” (with or without that “for Always”), the woman gets in your head. For inspiring her husband alone, I feel like I owe something.
Category: P-U Page 33 of 36
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another win for Rowell — this time, she charms with a story of a high school couple’s first love. Utterly charming, you effortlessly fall under the spell of these two, while from page one you know this isn’t going to end the way you want it to.
Park’s a pretty standard good kid — nice family, father’s a bit overbearing, into comics, Tae Kwon Do, punk and new wave music (hey, it’s 1986, don’t hold it against him). He doesn’t fit in as well as he should socially (his half-Korean-ness in a heavily white school doesn’t help), but overall he seems pretty well-adjusted.
Eleanor, on the other hand, isn’t. It takes most of the book to figure out just how messed up she is and why, but from early on, you get the picture of someone from a very damaged home just trying to be as normal as she can be (answer: not very).
These two meet on the school bus and eventually fall head-over-heels, and watching them figure out how to be in love, how to accept affection and differences . . . it just melts your heart.
Not as good as Rowell’s Attachments, but a winner nonetheless. Can’t wait for whatever she brings to the table next.
This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is everything you want in a Tropper novel–and then some–an awkward fistfight (actually multiple fights this time); an emotionally withdrawn father; a meddling mother; a female confidante/best friend/sister; a death…and it all works–pain, grief, wry observations, some 80’s references, and plenty of laughs. Actually you get most of that in the second chapter–probably the saddest, funniest, most disturbing sex scene I’ve read.
I went with 4 stars rather than the 5 I’d probably have given it because this isn’t Tropper at his best, but it is him being very, very good–which still makes it better than just about anything else out there.
The thing I mentioned with Arnold the other day is pretty much over, and the family (he in particular) are working on recovering from that, and I am drained mentally and physically, I’m clinging to consciousness here at work the last few days. For example, right now, if I leaned back in my desk chair, I could be asleep in 30 seconds. Which is making the whole writing thing pretty hard — I’m trying to be good, I just know if I let off on the daily writing thing, it’ll take months, if not a year, to reestablish that. So I got about 100 words yesterday, 300 or so today. No where near my minimum requirements, but…
Anyway, by gum, I’m trying to get something new posted by the end of this week.
Trying.
Here’s something that both entertained and inspired me, sorta the point of this post. Geek & Sundry, one of the new Youtube channel things (and the one I watch the most of, all due respect and fealty to The Nerdist notwithstanding) started a new thing yesterday, a monthly google+ hangout conversation hosted by Patrick Rothfuss about writing called The Story Board. Now, that’s enough for me, I’m watching. But this first episode featured Jim Butcher as one of the guests talking about Urban Fantasy. Squee! Good stuff. You must check it out.
- We’re all more than familiar with the stereotype of the socially awkward bookworm (heck, it’s practically my whole identity for huge chunks of my life), but some recent research suggests that just might not be so. In fact, those who read a lot of fiction might be more empathetic than others (gotta say, that’s long been my theory, glad to see that I was probably right). (h/t:Lifehacker)
- This has been linked like crazy all over, but author extraordinaire Michael Chabon has a great essay out about The Phantom Tollbooth (taken from his introduction to the forthcoming 50th anniversary edition). Loved, loved, loved that book (and re-re-re-re-re-reread it as a kid). A couple years ago I read it with my kids and fell in love again–thanks to Mr. Chabon, I have to go read it again.
- I’m torn about this. I’m a huge, huge fan of Robert B. Parker, and the thought of not getting new Spenser and Stone volumes each year depresses me, but the news that the Parker estate and his publisher have hired new authors to continue his two main series (thankfully there’s no talk about more Cole/Hitch books). If Joan’s comfortable with it, it seems wrong for us fans to be naysayers. But, my initial reaction’s more like what Andrew Wheeler tweeted, “V.C. Andrews, move over: sharecropping to begin over Robert Parker’s barely-cold corpse.” (h/t:Harry Connolly’s feed). But, hey, it’s not like Parker treated his stuff as much more than a commodity anyway lately (and honestly, I liked some of the choices that the new Stone writer made with the movies more than Parker made). I do know I’ll be grabbing them up from the library as soon as humanly possible–and hopefully I’ll like ’em enough to head to a bookstore after that.
Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Short Version: A good, good story told in a fun–often funny–way.
Long Version: In the Author’s Note, while Scalzi is describing the long, strange journey this novel took to get to this particular edition, he calls it the “book that won’t quit.” It took me maybe 50 pages to see why. This is one froody book.
The tone is great, the style is spot on, good satire/commentary on Hollywood’s place in the world, everything about the alien race–their language, appearance, spaceship, ways to interact with humans/other creatures…just wonderfully imaginative.
In case you haven’t read the blurb–an up and coming Hollywood agent is hired by a (by human standards) ugly, nauseatingly smelly alien race to help their “image” so they can make first contact with humanity. Why an agent, why not a President or something? ‘Cuz the aliens know where real power and influence are centered. So, our hero has to balance his Hollywood weirdo clients, the aliens and a nosy journalist who won’t leave him alone; while he comes up with a way to sell this species to humanity.
Funny, funny stuff on many levels and in different ways. But the book has a lot of heart, too. Just a pleasure to read.
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was almost disappointed by this one, on second thought, maybe I was disappointed by this installment in the Anna Strong series.
Stein introduces us to her version of werewolves (different, a la Meyer, than the shapechangers we’ve already met). Her take on the species isn’t my favorite, but I dig what she’s doing with them and the backstory for vamps/werewolves/demons she worked up.
I wasn’t crazy about how Anna “solved” the real world job (which she really didn’t do), but I thought she handled the supernatural “case” okay. On the whole, though, this book showed Anna at her most clueless, which may be what Stein intended–as long as she’s denying one side of her nature, she can’t be what she needs to be, etc.–but I doubt it.
For a page or so I thought we were done with the Max subplot after book #3, but no. I thought we were done with the Gloria thing, but no. I thought the David stuff had turned a page and onto something new there, but no. And so on.
Basically, this book served to shuffle the characters around a bit to (potentially, hopefully) do something with next time around.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m back for (at least) #5 and #6. Just hoping I don’t regret it.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dead Waters displays the growth of Anton Strout as a novelist as much as it shows Simon Canderous’ growth as a person. This fourth installment in the Simon Canderous series is (like each installment before) better than its predecessors — which works out great for me, because I’ve enjoyed all four of them.
The best part of this series (next to the characters) is the way Strout mixes magic into the real world. The adversary in this go ’round brings the challenge in the best mix of magic, myth and technology I can remember. Worth the read just for this.
The humor sprinkled (sometimes heavily) throughout the tale isn’t forced, like I think it was earlier in the series. It flows from the characters and the situations naturally.
Simon’s partner, Connor, still doesn’t get as much screen time as he should, but the partnership does seem stronger this go around — and Connor’s character feels more like a person. Maybe its because Connor’s family situation is a bit more settled, or maybe it’s just the nature of the case. Doesn’t matter, it’s a lot of fun.
Speaking of fun, Jane, Simon’s girlfriend really gets to strut her stuff magically here, frankly, I’d love to read a solo adventure or two featuring her. More pressing for our hero, however, is the fact that she’s putting pressure on him to deepen their relationship — which causes Simon to go through a good amount of maturing (or at least to consider it).
The ending of Dead Waters is one I should’ve seen coming, it was telegraphed like crazy. BUT, I’d spent most of the book convinced Strout was telegraphing something else, so what do I know? Frankly, I’m not crazy about the major character development that happened at the end, I’m afraid it will lead to this series losing some of what sets it apart from the rest of the genre and become a little more like typical Urban Fantasies. But I figure Strout’s gonna pull this off right and show me I’m worrying for nothing.
I should add here, that almost immediately after finishing this, I sent a tweet Strout’s way bemoaning the ending, and in only a few minutes got a reply that made me laugh. Gotta love an author who’ll take a moment for a fan and this Internet thingy that makes that interaction possible.
Blood Drive by Jeanne C. Stein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is not the follow-up to The Becoming Anna Strong Chronicles 1 that I expected, it’s a lot better. Something struck me odd about the way Stein included the detail about our heroine’s dead brother in the first book, and I should’ve realized she was planting a seed.
The seed, no pun intended, is what just may be her brother’s heretofore unknown daughter. Her brother’s girlfriend at the time of his death appears, asking for Anna’s help tracking down her runaway daughter, claiming it’s Anna’s niece. Before Anna can start looking, the girl’s best friend turns up murdered in a grisly fashion with hints of the supernatural. While looking for the girl and trying to find the murderer, Anna deepens her understanding and awareness of the supernatural world that she’s now a part of, and is reminded that perhaps the greatest monsters are merely human.
Great pacing, taught writing, good action–and even though I knew the identity of the bad guy at least one hundred pages before Anna did, I was on the edge of my seat.
The big issue that Urban Fantasy writers have to deal with his how to treat vampires (at least those authors that deal with vampires). Some leave them as horrid monsters, most find some way of toning down the whole vicious, blood-drinking, killer aspect. Stein doesn’t do that, yet. If Anna ends up toning down the animalistic nature of her protagonist, it will be as a result of a lot of trial and error, and stubborn choices she makes. While I hope Anna never becomes someone that I want Ms. Summers and the Scooby gang to track down, I hope she doesn’t turn off that aspect of her nature like a light switch.
I’m more than a little bothered by the dynamics between Anna and her boyfriend, and Anna and her partner, if Stein doesn’t resolve or change them soon, it’s really going to drag the series down. But I’m inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt.
I don’t know why I keep comparing this series to the Rachel Morgan books as I read them, but I do. And, Anna Strong comes out looking better and better each time I do. I’m really looking forward to seeing where she takes this.
The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
(3.5 actually, but goodreads won’t let me do that) This was just what the doctor ordered, over the last couple of months, I’d tried out a handful of new (to me) urban fantasy series, and had to force myself to finish them. Not this one. A fun ride from start to finish.
It’s the kind of start to a series that reminded me of Kitty and the Midnight Hour — and judging by the fact that of Carrie Vaughn books are now on my shelves at home, that’s a good thing. It’s very much a start to a series, a good ol’ origin story. Butt-kickin’, independent woman (with family issues), is out with her partner doing their bounty hunter thing, and unbeknownst to them, try to take a vampire into custody. Hilarity, er, blood-swapping ensues, and you’ve got yourself a butt-kickin’, independent vampire (with family issues).
Sure, our hero, Anna, has a heckuva learning curve in front of her–which Stein uses well to introduce the reader to her vampire rules, society, hunters, history, and whatnot. A good healthy mix of tradition and nouveau vamp lore.
It is a setup novel, so it’s hard to predict what form the future installments will take, once Anna’s more settled into her fangs, things will be different. But it’s a good start, with a likable cast, and a couple of good threads to follow in future books. Sign me up for more.