Ahoy there me mateys!  I received an eArc of this thriller through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings.

This be fourth book I have read by the author and me fourth five star read.  I have said before that what I find amazing about all of the author's books is that they feel so different from each other.  The first was a vampire story with stunning vampire culture and history.  The second was a Mayan fairy-tale set during the Jazz age in Mexico.  The third was a romance with a hint of fantasy set in the Belle Époque era.  And this is a coming-of-age thriller set in Baja California in 1979.  I adored this book!

The story follows Viridiana who lives in a small town called Desengaño where every day follows just like the one before it.  Instead of doing what is expected, like get married and have babies, Viridiana dreams of making it to a bigger city.  Her mastery of foreign languages, intelligence, and longing make her an outcast in her tiny community.  During the brief tourist season she makes a little money as a translator and tour guide.  The rest of the time she spends watching fisherman hunt sharks on the beach, watching classic Hollywood movies, reading, and dreaming.  Her life changes when three rich tourists come to town and she is asked to be not only a translator but also a personal assistant.  Life gets interesting when her employer dies.

This is a character driven story with plot twists and turns but is not really fast-paced.  That said the book was so absolutely satisfying.  Viridiana is a fantastic character whose naivete hurts to read about but her journey towards adulthood and reality is compelling.  Watching her struggle between her heart and her head is truly lovely even if ye want to shake her for her stupidity at times.  Viridiana's psychological journey was really the thriller aspect because of wondering if, and how, she could get out of the mess she found herself in.

I can't really get into more than that because of spoilers but I thought the ending was perfect and yet partially unexpected.  I thought all the shark symbolism was awesome.  I am in awe of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's talent and am so excited that she has another book coming out this year - Mexican Gothic on 6/30/2020.  Arrr!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I adored station eleven and the singer's gun so much that I got a hold of this book without knowing anything about it other than the author and title.  This is a lovely literary book with just a touch of the supernatural and a touch of murder mystery.  Ultimately though, the heart of the novel is what I think the author does best - intricate character studies that all eventually tie together.

I really want to gush about this novel but I can't.  Any gushing would just be spoiler-filled and somehow diminish the read.  This is my current best read of the year in terms of writing quality even if there be other novels I emotionally enjoyed reading just a bit more (I love Murderbot!).

Side note: Check out some interesting reviews with the author at npr, book page, and kirkus.  Arrrr!

Ahoy there mateys! This be the second book of the year from me 20 in 2020 ports for plunder list. This was a fast read but extremely unsatisfying. I really don’t get how people think this is good.

Now to be fair, the premise sounds awesome. The story follows Olive who is the last in a long line of magical women. There is a catch to using magic. With every spell cast, the woman pays for it by turning uglier. Ye can give up yer magic and become beautiful in exchange. Olive refuses to give up her magic and as she says “But I don’t think of myself as ugly.”

Ha! That is a lie. Olive spends the entire book being upset about how ugly she is and craving the respect and love of those around her. She longs to be beautiful and she has no self-esteem at all. The people in this world are so shallow that the only thing that matters to any of them is how pretty they are. There is literally no discussion of any other character trait or talent having merit. And in terms of turning uglier, it all seems to occur on the face in the form of warts, boils, and bumps. It was odd that the rest of the body was fine.

Then there are the other characters. Olive’s own mother gave up her magic and then spends time waffling between wanting her children to be beautiful (knowing the cost) and wanting them to keep her magic. She outright lies to her children and is a coward. No one stands up to the obnoxious jerk father. The horrible sister is so selfish and tortures an animal with no repercussions because that is just her nature. The two sisters are so nasty and mean to one another. And yet the author continues to talk about how much love there is. I wouldn’t wish that kind of family love on anyone.

The plot and romance are both predictable and ridiculous. The writing was immature and had dialogue that was so bad that I actually laughed out loud over the absurdity of it. The word “boob” is used as an insult! How the characters fall in love was completely a) lackluster; b) unbelievable; and c) so quick, I think I blinked and missed it. The world building was non-existent. The magic had no real rules and the spells were both stupid sounding and stupidly executed. Olive turns 18 and suddenly becomes obsessed with finding “a mate.” The magical women actually think using magic to coerce men into having sex without consent is just fine because they brainwash them into having false memories. Ugh.

I wanted a strong woman willing to stand up for herself and be proud in her magic. I wanted a woman who not only saved the world but realized her own worth came from her actions and not from what other people think. I didn’t want her to behave like beauty and a relationship was the goal of womanhood. I did NOT want her to magically become beautiful at the end and only be fulfilled by finding a husband. I wanted her to use her brain. I didn’t get anything that I wanted from the premise that had potential.

I don’t even want to donate me copy to another reader. Avoid this book. Arrrr!

Ahoy there mateys!  Not so long ago I read Heinlein's stranger in a strange land.  It was me first "adult" Heinlein novel and it made me rant and get grumpy.  I wasn't sure I ever wanted to read a Heinlein again.  But back in the day, I had read his "juveniles" and had fuzzy memories of loving them.  Part of what I love about readin’ is re-visitin’ old friends, so when I needed another audiobook I decided take a second look at this previously enjoyed novel and give me crew me second reflections, as it were, upon visitin’ it again . . .

The takeaway from this read is how I can still like a book almost as much but for completely different reasons.  On me earlier read over twenty five (huh!?!) years ago, I adored the technology around the spacesuit and all of the techno-babble around fixing the suit.  On this read, I was not really interested in the suit itself or the space aspects but rather entertained by the soap contest and Kip's silly humor and his relationships with his parents and with Peewee.  I had loved the Mother-Thing on the first read.  This time she was kinda boring and I was much happier reading about the Wormfaces and intergalactic legal systems.

The highlight of this book was the narrator, Mark Turetsky, who seemed like a one-man radio play.  He managed to capture the silliness while adding depth and avoiding campiness.  I loved listening to him.  I don't know that I would have enjoyed this as much without him.

I was surprised at how much better this book was in terms of misogyny than stranger in a strange land.  I thought it was lovely that the main side character was an eleven year old girl genius.  I loved the relationship that Kip and Peewee had.  I have been told that Heinlein's later works more closely aligned with his personal viewpoints than the juveniles did and that as he got older his editors had less control over his work.  I am not sure how much truth there is to that but the differences between the two eras of writing were fairly stark.  I mean I know Kip's mom seemed like a standard housewife and background character but there were strong female characters in this.

I guess what I be saying is that I be willing to give the other famous adult Heinlein, the moon is a harsh mistress, a chance.  I still maintain that stranger in a strange land is crap.  But maybe I will find something worthy in his other works.  Arrrrr!

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here are me honest musings.  While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the previous books then ye might want to skip this post. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

Dreaming Robot Press holds a special place in my heart as they were the first publisher to allow me the privilege of reviewing an eArc on NetGalley.  That novel was the demon girl's song, which I loved and reviewed here.

They also kindly gave me a copy of the first book in this series called a witch's kitchen.  That book introduced readers to the Enchanted Forest School where Millie, a witch's daughter, is sent when it appears she has no talent for magic.  All she was good at was baking.  Of course when she gets to school, she learns new things and makes friends and discovers her hidden depths.  I loved it.

This second book takes place during a break from school and follows a pixie named, Petunia.  I adored her (and her silly jokes) in the first book and was delighted for Petunia to take center stage.  Petunia comes from a huge family and her mom is so distracted that she can't even seem to remember Petunia's name!  When an epidemic breaks out, Petunia finds her break to be anything but restful and is given a chance to prove that even pixies can do serious, wonderful things.

I really love this series and was so glad to read the third book which focuses on Sagara the elf who goes on a quest to save a friend (and the world).  The plot was silly and whimsical and light and fun and totally fit my mood.  I read this in one sitting and it was a much needed break from the seriousness of the real world.  I loved how math helped save the day even if I didn't understand all the mathematical principals (not the author's fault!).  Who doesn't like the Fibonacci sequence, the Golden Rule, fractals and fun facts about how they relate to nature.

One of the best things about this book was the family politics.  Grown-ups make mistakes and inadvertently cause hurt even when they think they are doing the right thing.  Sagara learns to express herself, believe in herself, and hold others accountable for their actions.  It isn't magically fixed but I thought the complexities of the relationships were handled well.  I thought the blending of a fun story and larger themes was nicely done.

This book is technically for middle grade but I don’t care.  I believe everyone could enjoy it.  This series deserves more love.  And I can't wait to read Max's story!

So lastly . . .
Thank you Dreaming Robot Press!

Ahoy there mateys!  Though the first mate and I have very different reading tastes, occasionally we do recommend books to each other.  Books the first mate introduced to me included xom-b, holes, and the perks of being a wallflower.  Here I take a second look at a previously enjoyed novel and give me crew me second reflections, as it were, upon visitin’ it again.

The first mate and I talked about the book and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered asked him to write a review.  The twist - I reread it (sort of) and the First Mate read it for the first time.  Please note that I write like I talk and the first mate writes like he thinks.  Hope ye enjoy!

From yer Captain:

This be one of the books I loved when I was a kid from reading the "good parts" version published by Moby Books Illustrated Classics.  As I got older, I read the unabridged version and loved it.  Many crew who read this book think it be boring and that the whaling sections go on forever.  I adored it.  I loved Queequeg, Captain Ahab's insanity, and of course the fierce white whale.

I had been meaning to reread it for forever and there were some recent read-alongs that I wanted to participate in.  That didn't happen cause this year is goofy.  Then the First Mate picked it up in a two-fer-one audiobook sale.  He began listening to it, we began chatting about it, and so I downloaded it and began listening to it too.

I listened to the version narrated by Anthony Heald.  I absolutely ADORED his pronunciation.  I could listen to him say the words harpooner and innkeeper all day.  One of the weird things that I didn't really pick up on when I was younger is that Ishmael is, well, insane.  As an adult I can't really tell whether Ishmael is telling the truth about anything or if it just be a whale of tale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkjTGCrLvAU

Even though I adored the audiobook, I only listened up to the entrance of Captain Ahab.  Me audiobook copy from the library expired, me mood shifted, and I can't concentrate on audiobooks.  I do intend to finish this audiobook at some point.  I can't wait to hear how Anthony Heald tells me the whaling parts.  What I have listened to so far remains a five star read for me.  Arrrr!

From the First Mate:

Going out on a rickety limb, I’m willing to argue that one’s overall enjoyment of Moby-Dick is going to correlate fairly well with one’s enjoyment of the following passage:

“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off--then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship.”

This passage appears in the first chapter and is presented as our humble narrator’s reason for deciding to sign away the next three years of his life to spend at sea.  It’s not the most dense passage, nor the one with the most esoteric references in the book. This passage is our narrator being as clear and as plain as he ever gets about why he’s going to do something.  If one comes away from reading this passage with a “huh?” then there is no need to go any further; the book only becomes more obtuse. If, on the other hand, that passage makes your heart sing, the rest of the book is full of similarly dense, convoluted, beautiful prose.

I probably should have read Moby-Dick in college.  We definitely covered Melville, reading “Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street” and the incomplete novella “Billy Budd, Sailor” both of which are well worth reading.  Indeed, Melville touches on many of the themes explored in Moby-Dick in these other stories.  Duty, honor, religion, iconoclasm, and homoeroticism all are present in those two other stories.  Somehow I was forced to read The Sun Also Rises in four different classes, but we never got around to Moby-Dick.

The reality is that Moby-Dick is a complicated, dense, and uneven book that often takes quite a bit of work to understand what’s going on or what’s being discussed.  Top level, yes, the popular perception is correct in that the main storyline of the novel is Captain Ahab’s quixotic vendetta against the eponymous white whale; modern references to which range from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan:

https://youtu.be/VYPsoxpt0BU?t=11

to The Simpsons (jump to 1:40):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsoEf8Yqe3I&feature=youtu.be&t=103

And, yes, the vendetta certainly drives the plot of the novel, but Moby-Dick ultimately is about so much more.  It’s a resoundingly queer novel (our humble narrator enters into a same sex marriage fairly early on, let alone the homoeroticism that permeates much of the crew’s interactions).  It’s an examination of religion that, given the time in which it was written, borders on being blasphemous (Melville famously said, “I have written a wicked book, and I feel spotless as the lamb.”). It’s a novel that goes to great lengths to make an argument for nature conservation and even at points argues against the practice of whaling itself.

Most enjoyable to me, the first third of Moby-Dick is well worth reading because Ishmael is an amusingly unreliable narrator.  From the very first line (“Call me Ishmael”) one gets the sense that our narrator has no intention of giving us his full story. As one reads, the inconsistencies in his tale build until one can take to viewing the entire tale of Moby-Dick as a fish tale that our narrator is spinning.  At one point our narrator even tells a frame story, introducing it thus: “For my humor's sake, I shall preserve the style in which I once narrated it at Lima, to a lounging circle of my Spanish friends, one saint's eve, smoking upon the thick-gilt tiled piazza of the Golden Inn.”  Our narrator is an admitted teller of tales, and there’s some fun to be had in pondering just how he’s twisting this revenge story and why.

Unfortunately Melville ultimately chose to mostly write our narrator out of the story around the time Captain Ahab appears on the scene.  Ishmael recedes far into the background and in most plot-based chapters is rarely mentioned at all. Many later chapters are devoted to proceedings to which a lower ranked sailor like Ishmael wouldn’t be present.  In more than a few of those later chapters the only characters present are the Captain and one of the mates; one of those chapters takes place in the Captain’s quarters and deals solely with the First Mate’s thoughts on whether or not to mutiny (what first mate would even consider such a thing?).  It’s almost as though Melville’s designs or purpose for the novel shifted in the writing.

For being a dense and uneven novel, Moby-Dick ends up being a ferociously compelling one.  Since I finished it, the world, the characters, and the language have not left my thoughts. Melville’s prose is often so sublime that it hurts (“Human madness is oftentimes a cunning and most feline thing. When you think it fled, it may have but become transfigured into some still subtler form.”) or succinctly encompasses a perspective that I might spend a thousand words fumbling to articulate (“Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water, and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air. Me thinks my body is but the lees of my better being. In fact take my body who will, take it I say, it is not me.”).  My mind keeps returning to the question of what Melville’s intentions were with all of this, and I come away only with more questions.

I don’t think that I’d be able to recommend Moby-Dick to anyone without a long list of caveats.  The biggest caveat, of course, being “you’ll probably be bored with this, not finish, and likely hate it.”  I’m still surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. And the more I think about it, the more I enjoy it.  Such a weird fish story.

Captain's Side note: Did anyone else read those "good parts" Moby Books Illustrated Classics?  I be currently trying to buy all of them because I only have a few.  Willing to give me some in exchange for loot?  Know where any be buried?  Send me a treasure map!

I normally love McGuire's works but this one is just not working for me. I was having such a hard time connecting to the characters, the world, and even the writing style. I want to love this book because the premise is delightful but found meself hesitant to pick the book back up. I do want to give this book another shot in the future. But for now, I am going to stop trying to force it. I still remain grateful for the review copy from the publishers. Arrr!

Ahoy there me mateys! I didn’t know that this was the first book in a series but y’all I be so glad cause dang this was fun. The book follows Fergus Ferguson who is sent to repossess a sentient AI ship from Arum Gilger the man who stole it. Gilger lives in a backwaters colony called Cernee. It is supposed to be a slightly tricky but doable job for Fergus. It so isn’t. It’s a mess.

This is one of those stories where Fergus should die multiple times and doesn’t because of zany things that are improbable but not impossible. And fun! This book has a little bit of everything – scary aliens that kidnap people, space battles, gang warfare, smuggling, humor, fantastic characters, and bad guys that it be fun to cheer against. Even though the story is lighter toned, it also has excellent character development, extremely believable world-building, realistic but not overbearing politics, and heart-felt relationships. I also really enjoyed the cultural differences of the various groups of spacefarers. I loved Cernee and the glimpses ye got of other places too. It be a world I wouldn’t mind exploring with a good guide.

It was wonderful to follow Fergus and I loved the way the author provided the reader with backstory and explanations in a manner which folded them into the story without derailing the action or plot. There are cool flying pogo sticks (seriously this makes sense). I want one. I loved all the secondary characters too – snarky teen Mari in particular. And no romance!! By the end of the book, I was sad because I didn’t want to leave the characters and wanted to know more. Luckily I will get me wish. Arrr!

Side note: the e-book of book one is super cheap on Amazon US. Maybe ye should get a copy asap.

Ahoy there mateys! I really wanted to love this book but I read about half and just didn't care about the characters. I let it sit and then me library took back the e-book cause it was due. I put meself back on the long waiting list hoping that when I got it again I would be in a different mood. I got it and realized that I had no further interest in this book despite some of the lovely writing. So I returned it unfinished a second time. I give up. It's just not for me. Arrrr!