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After thoroughly enjoying S.K. Ali's Saints and Misfits and admiring Ali as a professional human on Twitter, I was very excited to pick up her next book. After waiting eons at the library for a copy, Love From A to Z more than met my personal hype.
Using the frame of a narrative adaptation of the characters' Marvels and Oddities journals, Love from A to Z follows the story of one life-changing spring break for activist Zayneb and the artistic Adam. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), Adam knows he must re-evaluate his priorities in life. And tell his father, who is still grieving his wife. The wife and mother who died of MS complications. Meanwhile, Zayneb has had enough of her Islamaphobic, racist teacher, Fencer. He's constantly framing lessons around hate, and when he catches Zayneb doodling an #EatHimAlive hashtag, he uses it as an excuse to suspend her. Worried, her parents send her to Doha to stay with her aunt, and Zayneb has to decide: what is the smartest way to fight back?
Needless to say, Love from A to Z packs a whallop. There are discussions of micro-aggressions, hate crimes, drone bombings, and how evil is passed on from one generation to another. As a break from that, we have discussions of family grief, sickness, disability, and some legitimately scary MS flare-ups. Ali proudly labels her book a love story, but it certainly isn't just a love story. It's a story about justice, triumph, connection, and healing too. I immensely enjoyed the characters and was invested in their struggles from the get-go.
Love from A to Z is a relentlessly rewarding book and a true inspiration in these times. Get on this!
Using the frame of a narrative adaptation of the characters' Marvels and Oddities journals, Love from A to Z follows the story of one life-changing spring break for activist Zayneb and the artistic Adam. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), Adam knows he must re-evaluate his priorities in life. And tell his father, who is still grieving his wife. The wife and mother who died of MS complications. Meanwhile, Zayneb has had enough of her Islamaphobic, racist teacher, Fencer. He's constantly framing lessons around hate, and when he catches Zayneb doodling an #EatHimAlive hashtag, he uses it as an excuse to suspend her. Worried, her parents send her to Doha to stay with her aunt, and Zayneb has to decide: what is the smartest way to fight back?
Needless to say, Love from A to Z packs a whallop. There are discussions of micro-aggressions, hate crimes, drone bombings, and how evil is passed on from one generation to another. As a break from that, we have discussions of family grief, sickness, disability, and some legitimately scary MS flare-ups. Ali proudly labels her book a love story, but it certainly isn't just a love story. It's a story about justice, triumph, connection, and healing too. I immensely enjoyed the characters and was invested in their struggles from the get-go.
Love from A to Z is a relentlessly rewarding book and a true inspiration in these times. Get on this!
This was the final book I read for my MFA's essay on craft that focused on horses in literature. I.... Well, it's Peter S. Beagle. He's a biggie, ain't he? And for a good reason: his wordcraft is fantastic. Brilliant. There are no words. Every sentence is a spell. This whole book is a spell. It's magic, pure and and gray, and I felt more than a little bewitched by the end.
The only thing marring my experience was I didn't really like the unicorn. *winces* A very unpopular opinion I know. It just seemed that yes, while she is all magical and beautiful, she's the most self-centered creature in the book. While Molly, Shmendrick, and (eventually) Lir are busting their butts trying to help her, all she can do is mope, be dainty, and obsess over her magic. By page 100, I was ready to launch out of her POV and never come back to it again.
I know I'm capable of forgiving mopey characters, so I think what really frustrated me was that the unicorn didn't learn, grow, or change by the end. She went on an entire hero's journey and by the end, the unicorn winds up back in her forest. The only change is she has the ability to regret, which is...cool, I guess, but implies she regrets her journey. *long, annoyed sigh*
So. My review stars belong to everyone but the unicorn. One for Beagle's wordcraft. One for Shmendrick. One for Molly Grue. As much as disliked the unicorn, I loved Shmendrick and Molly. Bless their under-appreciated souls. They deserve much.
The only thing marring my experience was I didn't really like the unicorn. *winces* A very unpopular opinion I know. It just seemed that yes, while she is all magical and beautiful, she's the most self-centered creature in the book. While Molly, Shmendrick, and (eventually) Lir are busting their butts trying to help her, all she can do is mope, be dainty, and obsess over her magic. By page 100, I was ready to launch out of her POV and never come back to it again.
I know I'm capable of forgiving mopey characters, so I think what really frustrated me was that the unicorn didn't learn, grow, or change by the end. She went on an entire hero's journey and by the end, the unicorn winds up back in her forest. The only change is she has the ability to regret, which is...cool, I guess, but implies she regrets her journey. *long, annoyed sigh*
So. My review stars belong to everyone but the unicorn. One for Beagle's wordcraft. One for Shmendrick. One for Molly Grue. As much as disliked the unicorn, I loved Shmendrick and Molly. Bless their under-appreciated souls. They deserve much.
Writing Mysteries
Sue Grafton, Jan Burke, Margeret Maron, Ann Rule, John Lutz, Tess Gerritsen, Faye Kellerman, Linda Fairstein, Loren D. Estleman, Lawrence Block, Tony Hillerman, Barry Zeman, Nancy Pickard, Sara Paretsky, Michael Connelly, Laurie R. King, Jonathan Kellerman
I love reading mysteries, so I decided to write one. Thinking that because I knew about writing in other genres mysteries would be no different, I made an Attempt. It went poorly. I can write dialog, build character, and create suspense, but nothing was meshing like I wanted. So I typed "writing mysteries handbook" into my library collection search bar and Writing Mysteries: A Handbook by the Mystery Writers of America popped out.
Armed with sticky notes and a notebook, I delved in. Written in 2002, some information is dated and there are few mentions of using the Internet. The collected essays are directed at writers who are absolutely new, so I skipped some entirely. I found most helpful the following essays: "The Rules and How to Bend Them" by Jeremiah Healy, "Vivid Villains" by Sandra Scoppettone, "Outlining" by Robert Campbell, "Pacing and Suspense" by Phyllis A. Whitney, "Clues, Red Herrings, and Other Plot Devices" by P.M. Carlson, and "Revision" by Jan Burke.
Since I'm writing a medieval mystery, I also read "Historical Mysteries: The Past is a Foreign Country" by Laurie R. King. That one was a little confusing. King starts her essay by disagreeing with her essay's title and posits that people have been the same since the beginning of time. Only circumstances change. Which, I mean, sure, but isn't that also what traveling in a foreign country is like? Same people; different cultural, historical, and environmental context.
All in all, I found this handbook helpful. Yes, it's from 2002 and meant for beginners, but I took lessons from the content that did apply. I needed to go back to basics, in a way. Not having a list of websites strangely focused the authors' advice. I was never overwhelmed. I felt capable and finished the book only more so. I'd recommend Writing Mysteries to colleagues who want to steady their footing the mystery genre.
Armed with sticky notes and a notebook, I delved in. Written in 2002, some information is dated and there are few mentions of using the Internet. The collected essays are directed at writers who are absolutely new, so I skipped some entirely. I found most helpful the following essays: "The Rules and How to Bend Them" by Jeremiah Healy, "Vivid Villains" by Sandra Scoppettone, "Outlining" by Robert Campbell, "Pacing and Suspense" by Phyllis A. Whitney, "Clues, Red Herrings, and Other Plot Devices" by P.M. Carlson, and "Revision" by Jan Burke.
Since I'm writing a medieval mystery, I also read "Historical Mysteries: The Past is a Foreign Country" by Laurie R. King. That one was a little confusing. King starts her essay by disagreeing with her essay's title and posits that people have been the same since the beginning of time. Only circumstances change. Which, I mean, sure, but isn't that also what traveling in a foreign country is like? Same people; different cultural, historical, and environmental context.
All in all, I found this handbook helpful. Yes, it's from 2002 and meant for beginners, but I took lessons from the content that did apply. I needed to go back to basics, in a way. Not having a list of websites strangely focused the authors' advice. I was never overwhelmed. I felt capable and finished the book only more so. I'd recommend Writing Mysteries to colleagues who want to steady their footing the mystery genre.
After following Chris Bedell on Twitter and playing several Twitter author games with him, I was eager to pick up In the Name of Magic.
Magnifico is a nation ruled by a monarchy and populated by both magical and non-magical people. Times are hard, as the economy has tanked following the end of a brutal war with the goblins in the neighboring country. In a direct mirror to the 2008 recession and the 2016 USA election, Princess Vivian steals the throne, murders her royal parents, and blames non-magical people for the economic problems. During these turbulent times, Maximillian and his friends hope they can keep their heads down and survive. Unfortunately, fate has a lot in store for them. Katherine's non-magical parents are killed by the Queen's wolves and she is forced into hiding. Maximillian finds and falls for Vivian's brother, the lost Prince Stefan. Everyone questions their friendship with Taylor when he starts spouting fascist, racist nonsense.
As you can tell from the summary, In the Name of Magic deals with many heavy topics, and I love how Bedell embraces the fantasy genre's ability to mimic and mirror real world happenings. Locking up people because they are Jewish or queer or neurodivergent or brown or immigrants is just as ridiculous as locking up people for not being able to magically toast bread with their hands. Many of Maximillian and Taylor's conversations have played out over social media, as once solid friendships strain and snap. In addition, the characters truly act their ages. Sometimes, Maximillian makes irrational decisions, but he's eighteen and stressed from hiding his friend from murderous police wolves. The youthful romance between Maximillian and Stefan feels organic, and their chemistry sparks off the page.
Other reviewers have noted Maximillian's generally laid back attitude and narration. His character did remind me of The Dude from The Big Lebowski, if the character was stuck in a magical dystopia. It does jar with the bleakness of Magnifico and the dire situations. On the other hand, it feels like a realistic coping mechanism. I don't really know what to make of it.
All in all, a solid read for those who want some reality in their fantasy. Have fun, friends.
Magnifico is a nation ruled by a monarchy and populated by both magical and non-magical people. Times are hard, as the economy has tanked following the end of a brutal war with the goblins in the neighboring country. In a direct mirror to the 2008 recession and the 2016 USA election, Princess Vivian steals the throne, murders her royal parents, and blames non-magical people for the economic problems. During these turbulent times, Maximillian and his friends hope they can keep their heads down and survive. Unfortunately, fate has a lot in store for them. Katherine's non-magical parents are killed by the Queen's wolves and she is forced into hiding. Maximillian finds and falls for Vivian's brother, the lost Prince Stefan. Everyone questions their friendship with Taylor when he starts spouting fascist, racist nonsense.
As you can tell from the summary, In the Name of Magic deals with many heavy topics, and I love how Bedell embraces the fantasy genre's ability to mimic and mirror real world happenings. Locking up people because they are Jewish or queer or neurodivergent or brown or immigrants is just as ridiculous as locking up people for not being able to magically toast bread with their hands. Many of Maximillian and Taylor's conversations have played out over social media, as once solid friendships strain and snap. In addition, the characters truly act their ages. Sometimes, Maximillian makes irrational decisions, but he's eighteen and stressed from hiding his friend from murderous police wolves. The youthful romance between Maximillian and Stefan feels organic, and their chemistry sparks off the page.
Other reviewers have noted Maximillian's generally laid back attitude and narration. His character did remind me of The Dude from The Big Lebowski, if the character was stuck in a magical dystopia. It does jar with the bleakness of Magnifico and the dire situations. On the other hand, it feels like a realistic coping mechanism. I don't really know what to make of it.
All in all, a solid read for those who want some reality in their fantasy. Have fun, friends.
R.J. Sorrento and I are friends on Twitter, and I really enjoyed their cute regency romance mystery novelette Death at Sagehollow. When I heard their debut Captain Stellar was out, I bought a copy as soon as I could. I'm so glad I did!
Cal struggles. He struggles to be a good son to his divorced mother and a good boyfriend to Jin. He struggles to fit in time to build his photography portfolio between grueling shifts at his construction job with a truly terrible boss. You'd think, maybe, getting superpowers would make things better. But when those superpowers are granted without consent by a mad geneticist, when they introduce him to smokin' Fernando and his bubbly sister Margo, when superpowers mean a whole other set of responsibilities & tough choices...his world is turned upside down instead.
The writing sparkled in Captain Stellar. All the characters felt incredibly realistic and three dimensional, with organic flaws and true strengths. Cal's character in particular was fantastic: he looks like a hero from comics, with the typical blonde hair, strong-jaw, and muscles. Scratch him though, and he subverts the cliche. He's gay, afraid of commitment, and prone to running. He's a good, imperfect man. Besides the characters, Captain Stellar boasts a very lived-in and realistic depiction of Chicago and several yummy food scenes. Reading made me hungry. The pacing was excellent, the plot gripped, and the world-building was well-polished.
Captain Stellar is a brilliant novel with memorable moments, well-drawn characters, and a lovely romance. I definitely recommend it to superhero fans everyplace!
Cal struggles. He struggles to be a good son to his divorced mother and a good boyfriend to Jin. He struggles to fit in time to build his photography portfolio between grueling shifts at his construction job with a truly terrible boss. You'd think, maybe, getting superpowers would make things better. But when those superpowers are granted without consent by a mad geneticist, when they introduce him to smokin' Fernando and his bubbly sister Margo, when superpowers mean a whole other set of responsibilities & tough choices...his world is turned upside down instead.
The writing sparkled in Captain Stellar. All the characters felt incredibly realistic and three dimensional, with organic flaws and true strengths. Cal's character in particular was fantastic: he looks like a hero from comics, with the typical blonde hair, strong-jaw, and muscles. Scratch him though, and he subverts the cliche. He's gay, afraid of commitment, and prone to running. He's a good, imperfect man. Besides the characters, Captain Stellar boasts a very lived-in and realistic depiction of Chicago and several yummy food scenes. Reading made me hungry. The pacing was excellent, the plot gripped, and the world-building was well-polished.
Captain Stellar is a brilliant novel with memorable moments, well-drawn characters, and a lovely romance. I definitely recommend it to superhero fans everyplace!
