Between a couple of books that just took me longer to read than I expected, a library due date that snuck up on me–and me forgetting how long February actually is, I didn’t get three of my books from last month read. Hopefully I can do better this month (although taking a week off from writing didn’t help). Some of these books are things I’ve been waiting to get to for months, so at least I’ll be satisfied by that. This is not going to be an exhaustive list—I’ll probably read other things, too, and may not get to all of these. But as of today, this is my plan.
by K.J. Backer
Orphan.
Outsider.
Freak.
Labels and questions swirl in Darion's troubled mind.
Why did his birthparents abandon him?
Why is he haunted by visions of mythical beasts, a captive, and her torturer?
And why is his birthmark glowing?
Discovering his true-identity may cost Darion everything, as he is suddenly confronted with a war-ravaged Realm and the answers he has always sought.
Rav'Arians wreak havoc at the command of a sadistic usurper who led a grisly coup against the Marked Royals.
Unicorn, Centaur, Nymph, and man have joined forces to face the oncoming threat of evil, yet their forces are slipping, and hope seems lost.
Three generations interwoven throughout Nav'Arian history will reach as far as rural Oregon, to see the Kingdom unified once more.
The only question is, will the return of the Marked Heir help or hinder in the fight for Nav'Aria?
I’ve had a couple of fun conversations with Backer over the last year, and I’m looking forward to getting into her fiction. If only so I can see her unicorns at work. These aren’t dainty, pretty things who mean business when it comes to the pointy thing on their head.
by Felicia Day, illustrated by Rowan MacColl
Helen of Troy. Clytemnestra. Timandra.
Three sisters, infamously cursed by the goddess Aphrodite to betray their husbands, are known the world over. But few know about the fourth sister: Philonoe. Lost to historical record, ancient texts say she had a different fate than her sisters. But why and how did this happen?
New York Times bestselling author Felicia Day and illustrator Rowan MacColl bring Philonoe to vivid life at last, in The Lost Daughter of Sparta.
A magnificent hero's journey with a feminist twist, The Lost Daughter of Sparta fills in history's missing pieces with sparkling wit and pathos, thrilling adventure, and an empowering love story that won't soon be forgotten.
I’m sure the time will come when one of Day’s endeavors doesn’t do much for me. I doubt it’ll be with this
by Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier
An award-winning celebration of an American hero
Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter living in South Carolina in the 1800s. He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved onto his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave. In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal, National Book Award nominee Laban Carrick Hill's elegantly simple text and award-winning artist Bryan Collier's resplendent, earth-toned illustrations tell Dave's story, a story rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty.
This looks pretty heavy for the audience. But given the raves and awards, I’m guessing Hill pulls it off. I’m eager to see how.
by Luke Kennard
In Luke Kennard’s audacious new novel, a penniless and out-of-work actor picks up a job working for Dr. Blend, a university professor who is conducting a psychological experiment. How will Dr. Blend’s students react to someone zipped into an oversized bag, sitting at the back of the lecture hall over a series of Fall lectures? The role, eagerly accepted, soon has unexpected consequences. A professor of post-humanism develops research questions of her own—in particular, can you love someone secreted away inside a black bag?—and the actor’s childhood friend forms a vision for monetizing this new situation . . .
A warped campus novel, an investigation into the crisis of masculinity, and an off-kilter love story, Black Bag is a firework of a novel: blazingly funny and profoundly humane.
I was supposed to read this last month, and am about one-third into it now. I do not envy future me trying to write about it. But before I worry about that, I get to enjoy this. That last sentence in the blurb? That’s so spot-on.
by Ann Leckie
On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.
Once, she was the Justice of Toren--a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.
Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.
I’ve heard a lot of hype for this book/trilogy, but I don’t think I’ve paid attention to it. But a lot of the folks at the SF book club are excited to read/reread this, I assume they’re onto something.
by Kory Stamper
begonia (n.): 3 -s : a deep pink that is bluer, lighter, and stronger than average coral (see coral 3b), bluer than fiesta, and bluer and stronger than sweet william — called also gaiety
What could "bluer than fiesta" possibly mean? While editing dictionaries for Merriam-Webster, Kory Stamper found herself drawn again and again to the whimsical color definitions in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary—especially when compared to the dry and impersonal entries that filled the rest of the volume. Stamper couldn’t help but wonder: Who was the voice behind these peculiar definitions?
Meet I. H. Godlove, an erratic but brilliant up-and-coming scientist who was one of the experts Merriam-Webster hired in 1930 to help revise the dictionary to reflect a rapidly modernizing world. His fascinating life mirrors the wild and winding journey that color science, color psychology, and color production took through the twentieth century. Stamper tracks these industries as they move into the atomic age and intertwine in strange and surprising ways, spanning two world wars and involving chemical explosions, an unexpected suicide, dramatic office politics, and an extraordinary love story.
Filled with captivating facts about color words and colors themselves—did you know that the word “puke” used to refer to a fashionable shade of reddish-brown before it was associated with vomit?—and fueled by Stamper’s inexhaustible curiosity, True Color will transform the way you see the world, from black-and-white to Technicolor.
I enjoyed Stampers last work, and think it’d be interesting to see her tackle this idea. Also…I am just so bad with colors that it’s embarrassing. I’m hoping I learn enough from this to not cause my wife to cringe when I try to talk about color/hue/etc.
It probably won’t happen. But it’d be nice.
by Tim Sullivan, read by John Heffernan
DS George Cross can be rude, difficult, and awkward with people. But his unfailing logic and relentless pursuit of justice means his conviction rate is the best on the force. So when a ravaged body is found in a local demolition site, it's up to Cross to piece together the truth from whatever fragments he can find.
The demolition began at dawn. Walls knocked over. Twisted pipes uprooted. Window frames smashed. A dead body unearthed...
DS Cross has little to go on, but from the faint tan lines on the body, and strange scars on his forearms, an identity gradually emerges: a young man; an amateur cyclist; a supply of performance enhancing drugs. But what led this man to his death? Soon, Cross has mounted an investigation that will uncover jealousy, ambition and a family tearing itself apart... An investigation that could cost him his career.
I’m trying to keep my expectations in the right place for this, but it’s hard after the way the first book in the series wowed me.
by Herve Tullet
Hervé Tullet's delightful sensory books have sold millions of copies around the world. Here is his beloved Press Here in a beautiful hardcover edition just right for toddlers, preschoolers, and early readers.
Press the yellow dot on the cover of this interactive children's book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising touch book instructs the reader to push the button, shake it up, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next!
I don’t see the appeal of this one, I have to say. Which means I’m a few short pages away from understanding how mistaken I was.
by Arthur Yorinks, illustrated by Richard Egielski
Al, a janitor, and his faithful dog, Eddie, live in a single room on the West Side. They eat together, they work together, they do everything together. So what's the problem?
Thier room is crowded and cramped; their life is an endless struggle. Al and Eddie are practically at each others throats when a large and mysterious bird offers them a new life in paradise. After some debate, they decide to accept.
Transported to a gorgeous island in the sky, Al and Eddie are soon living a life of ease and luxury. But they come to find that the grass can be a little too green on the other side. After a dramatic, nearly tragic escape from their paradise prison, both man and dog agree: there really is no place like home.
This came from a recommendation in a recent comment by aquavenatus. Looks like a fun book!
(Image by DaModernDaVinci from Pixabay)
I don’t think I noticed last October when Southern Living named its 50 Books From The Past 50 Years Everyone Should Read At Least Once—an impressive and daunting list, to be sure. But I did notice that Books of Brilliance talked about that list this week: Southern Living’s 50 Best Books of the Past 50 Years: The Novels That Defined Modern Literature 
