Like everyone else, my book buying budget does have its limits(especially these days) yet I still consider it a necessity to get new reads whenever I can.
To that end, I was happy to get a June box from Book of the Month Club and to finally get one of their Centennial editions-celebrating the 100th anniversary of BOTM-which was Catcher in the Rye, a book that I haven’t read in a long time and should be an interesting cultural experience to go through again.
In addition to These Summer Storms(which I mentioned last time), my third pick was The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee. The title character here is a samurai swordswoman for an intergalactic corporation whose final ties to the company have now been severed, leading her to follow her former employer into eternal retirement.
However, the current powers that be insist that she take on one last mission which, due to personal connections, she really can’t refuse. Also, this gives Isako a shot at revenge as her former apprentice, Matim, is behind the corporate scheme that set all of this into motion.
Fonda Lee is best known for her Green Bone Saga trilogy, which I’ve wanted to get into but haven’t been successful on that front. Since this novel is a standalone, my chances of clicking with her work might be better.
With strong yet sensitive leading ladies and creative world building that Lee’s books have been highly praised for, it would be totally remiss of me not to give this story a serious try:
This past weekend, I went to my local library and after returning three books(two of them I actually finished), I only borrowed two, one of which is a cozy fantasy and the other a more ferocious one.
Julie Leong’s The Keeper of Magical Things is definitely on the milder side as we are introduced to Certainty Bulrush, whose minor magical abilities are not enough to be considered fledged mage in the guild that accepted her but potent enough for a special assignment.
She must work along side Mage Aurelia, whose off putting manner makes her difficult to say the least, in transporting a set of slightly magical items for storage in the remote village of Shpelling. They are to set up a warehouse to properly sort out the objects from counter spelling each other as well as keep an eye on the little cat dragon that followed them and maintain as low a profile as possible.
After awhile, Certainty and Aurelia not only find a way towards a friendship, they also grow to believe that some of the packed away items might be more useful out in the regular world. Can they discover a path to truly make that happen or will they bring down more trouble on their heads?
Leong’s earlier novel, The Teller of Small Fortunes, is on my BOTM reading challenge list(that I hope to get to very soon!) and I was going to wait until I read that one first but with both books being standalone stories(set in the same universe)it didn’t make sense to wait that long. Besides, these novels sound like total delights and why should I deny myself the joys of such an enchanting world:
The other library loan is quite the massive volume but having read Joe Hill before, it ought to be relatively fast paced.
King Sorrow begins with college student Arthur who is being blackmailed into stealing rare books from the university library and the only solution that he and his friends can think of is to summon the title dragon demon to rid them of their enemies.
Trouble is, King Sorrow demands an annual tribute for his services and as the years go by, the price becomes more difficult to pay. Can Arthur and company rally again to end this ongoing nightmare or are their real problems just getting started?
I’ve heard nothing but elaborate praise from critics and readers alike about this book and even if I completely exhaust my renewal options here, there is no doubt in my mind that this will totally be worth it. Plus, given the state of things right now, conjuring up a dragon doesn’t sound that bad:
Speaking of libraries, I must say a few words about the recent passing of a favorite fictional librarian who helped a certain Slayer save the world a lot.
Anthony Stewart Head had many featured acting roles in his life and career, starting with a series of coffee commercials that inspired a novel to roles in fantasy shows like Merlin, comedies such as Ted Lasso and even a Jane Austen adaptation (2007’s Persuasion).
However, he is and will be best remembered as Watcher Rupert Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who began as the hapless school librarian at Sunnydale High and then later an owner of the local magic shop( which as one character noted had the longevity potential of a Spinal Tap drummer).
His blend of extensive knowledge, sharp movements of sarcasm and fatherly love for his charges made him a key player in this often changing yet steadfast supernatural drama that more than one generation calls their emotional home.
During these past few days, I have seen numerous fans and contemporaries give him nothing but absolute praise for his generous nature on and off screen and so many people crediting Giles with the reason they become librarians and that’s quite the legacy indeed.
It is beyond sad to see good folks leave us for worlds unknown yet it can be comforting to discover the positive impact they left for us, no matter how small it might seem.
Anthony Stewart Head was a fine figure of a person who used his artistic talents to breathe life into what could’ve easily been a stock character and made him someone worth living up to, flaws and all. Plus, instilling a love of literary based knowledge in the bargain is a great bonus, even if it’s a bit smelly:
Glad to be back in the blogging game again and hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend there!
Well, June is bursting out all over with great books and bookish plans for the summer season, some of my own literary online projects I would like to share here today.
One of my big seasonal blog events is Autumn in August, where I watch and discuss movies/TV shows that have that fall feeling, especially during those overheated dog days at the end of summer.
This year, I thought that this was the perfect time for me to watch the latest adaptation of John Galsworthy’s The Forsyte Saga that aired on PBS a few months ago.
Simply titled The Forsytes , this series has a stellar cast with the likes of Francesca Annis, Stephen Moyer and Eleanor Tomlinson on board and unlike other versions, is not a one and done deal. This is only Season one, with season two already being filmed and a third season in the works.
I’ve read the massive book(it’s several books and short stories collected in one volume) that this generational tale of a Victorian family dealing with their particular set of secrets and lies is based upon and no, not doing a reread of that right now-my TBR is overflowing as it is!-mainly to enjoy this take on that story on its own terms.
I suspect that the success of The Gilded Age (so excited for Season Four!) helped to bring this fresh look at the Forsytes along and that’s just wonderful, if you ask me. Nothing like a little historical fiction friction to liven up those warm weather days to come:
Speaking of English high drama, I’m also planning to revisit Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park as a duet reading with a similarly themed book(more on that in a moment).
Before I started my book buying break last month, I did treat myself to a new edition of MP, a Penguin Classic Deluxe, to be precise. Since I only have Emma in this particular edition series (a very nice review copy from the publisher) and really like the cover art done for this one, it’s as good an excuse as any for a reread.
Of course, that’s not the only reason for taking another another stroll through Mansfield; Fanny Price is a rather misunderstood heroine in the Austen cannon and while she might not be as lively as Lizzie Bennet or Emma Woodhouse, her quiet strength and steadfast demeanor puts her in good company with such ladies as Elinor Dashwood and my absolute favorite, Anne Eliot.
It is a shame that Fanny doesn’t get many good options when it comes to love(Edmund Bertram is the weakest tea when it comes to Austen leading men).
Sometimes, I wonder if Fanny could’ve made a go of it with Mr. Rushworth-they did spend time together during that play debacle and while he’s a bit of a doofus, Mr. Rushworth was certainly not a mean guy. Well, perhaps my mind will change in that regard although one thing is for certain here and that is Aunt Norris is the WORST!:
Part of the reason for my MP revisit is that I am catching up on Claudia Gray’s Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney mystery series with my next read being The Rushworth Family Plot.
If you’re not familiar with this series, it takes place in a reality where all of Austen’s characters interact with each other and our amateur sleuths are the eldest son of Darcy and Elizabeth(Jonathan) and the daughter of Henry Tilney and Catherine Morland (Juliet). The young couple do have romantic feelings for each other yet the nature of their investigations does keep them from getting too involved in that quarter, for the moment…
This time out, Jonathan and Juliet are paying a call on Edmund and Fanny when news of an alarming nature concerning Mr. Rushworth reaches them, not to mention a certain family member coming back into the Bertram’s lives with equally shocking information. Can our detective duo assist in righting these matters or will this family scandal simply never end?
As I said, I do pity Mr. Rushworth a little despite his silliness and simple nature. Of course he would be the target of another sorry scheme but hopefully, some justice will be done for him here.
I do enjoy this series-a new entry entitled The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield is due out soon-and happy to see Mansfield Park get some more recognition in the reimagining genre:
In the meantime, I have made a good start in Seasons of Reading’s Sci-Fi Summer readathon (The Courtship of Princess Leia is a fun ride so far) yet I am already setting up shop for the next readathon on the schedule.
In August, SOR has the High Summer readathon and my big idea for thst one is to read books that have the word Summer in the title. Yeah, a bit on the nose to be sure but there are two books on my waiting to be read pile that meet that requirement and I just added a new one to my June Book of the Month Club box.
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean actually deals with a family named Storm and yes, their relationships are rocky indeed. We meet Alice first, a school teacher heading back to her family’s island home after the sudden death of her father.
On her way there, she has a brief hookup with a rather handsome stranger named Jack who turns out to be the manager of her late father’s business affairs. Alice, along with her mother and other siblings, have certain tasks to accomplish in order to receive their inheritance and Alice’s main assignment is to stay at the house for one week.
That is truly easier said than done and oddly enough, Jack also being there does make it somewhat more bearable. Can more than one broken bond be mended here or should Alice make the choice that’s really right for her and her alone?
Word of mouth for this book has been great and it does sound like an excellent beach read that should burn down the metaphorical house indeed:
Whatever your summer plans are, do allow yourself to have a little fun. With all of the chaos surrounding us these days, recharging your emotional batteries is important to maintain your spirits. Do what you can reasonably do that is safe, affordable and entertaining but refuse to let others force you into their misery.
That being said, I’m probably going to watch the Tony Awards this weekend, despite their being on a certain negative network. My big reason for is to see the big musical number for The Lost Boys, which is up for several awards including Best Musical.
Yes, THAT Lost Boys, the 1987 summer vampire film featuring the Coreys and Richard Gilmore as a vampire king is a big Broadway show with original songs(guess it was too expensive to get the movie soundtrack rights) and flying vampires on stage!
I just have to see that live on TV and then avoid that channel like Dracula dodges the sun ! Please forgive me in advance but sometimes, you gotta dive into some whimsy when and where you can:
