Spring Reading 2019 Bulwark Anthology

       

  

Last spring I read Bulwark, which introduced readers to a small town in Georgia plagued by supernatural problems. Since then, the author has not only revisited the town, but opened it up to others as the setting for an anthology of stories.

In The Knowing, two high school kids from opposite backgrounds feel an instant connection - a knowing- that they are meant to be together. Everyone else doesn't see it that way. Ellie's big brother orders JB to stay away. JB's father disapproves of Ellie's wealthy family, and her folks aren't thrilled that she wants to date a poor farmer's son. It seems like a typical story of star-crossed teenage lovers, except for the intense dreams of a shared past that they both experience. Do those dreams and the odd sense that tells them when the other is near prove that they belong with each other? Most of the action in this story takes place over 50 years before the events of Bulwark, showing that strange things have been happening in that small town for a very long time.

The Darkness also features teens, but these are present-day kids. A star athlete, a reporter for the school newspaper, and their two best friends are pulled into a mystery that stretches back to the founding of the town. When football player Chris asks Sophia for help, she agrees because he is really cute and she is really curious. It seems that some of their classmates have been disappearing - and Chris hears the voice of one of them coming from inside his locker. With some research and a visit to Sophia's grandmother, they learn that the high school was built on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground (shades of the movie "Poltergeist"). Can the friends figure out how to stop the disappearances and perhaps even rescue the classmate who is calling for help?

By opening the world of the original book up to other authors, the scope of paranormal activities and number of characters that are involved are greatly expanded. There is a wide variety of personalities and situations within the anthology to appeal to a range of readers.

I received copies of the books from the publisher for review purposes.

Winter Reading 2019 Cyber Attack

The thing that makes Washburn's tale of terrorists hacking into multiple systems and wreaking havoc across the United States is the realism of so many details. The terrorists are out for revenge because of wrongs they feel they have suffered at the hands of the U.S. within their home countries. The methods they use have taken several years to develop with several people working on them. And the results described could actually happen under the right circumstances.

But it is not just the "bad guys" and their effects that are realistic. Washburn takes the time to describe the various victims caught up in the disasters and makes them believable. He doesn't just mention a couple of old friends on vacation happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Readers learn the names, occupations, how long they have been friends and have been planning this trip, etc. Each of the characters comes complete with a backstory that rounds out each situation and makes it believable.

The protagonists of the story are FBI agents Hank Goodnight and Paige Randall. They are assigned to work together for the first time in response to the first incident. Even as they head out to investigate the damage spreads and they have to work around power outages, grounded air traffic and other issues just to reach the locations and resources they need to do the job. 

I won this book in a giveaway and read it in a single afternoon. Once I started, the story pulled me along and I had to see how it would end. I would recommend it for those who enjoy thrillers where investigation and action are mixed with increasingly high stakes. This is for mature YA and adult readers - some of the scenes include graphic details of violence.

Fall Reading 2018 Hero Dogs: How a Pack of Rescues, Rejects, and Strays Became America's Greatest Disaster-Search Partners

If you enjoy stories about dogs or about search and rescue, this is a book you must read. I warn you though - you may cry through large sections of it - but it will be worth it. The book traces the beginnings of the Search Dog Foundation from Wilma Melville's time helping after the Oklahoma City Bombing and her realization that many more SAR dogs were necessary. The author describes how the program came to use dogs from animal shelters, the training program, and matching the dogs with their human partners. 

The text also describes how the teams worked in various disasters, including 9-11, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, and the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Readers will find details about what conditions were like, the lengths that dogs and handlers went through to find victims, and how the dogs also served as unofficial therapy dogs for rescue workers.

Between the tales of the difficulties some of the dogs had before they were chosen by the SDF, and then reading about the horrors rescuers had to endure to search the disaster sites, some of the passages were very grim. Not that this book is a downer, but it is accurate and some sad facts are inescapable. The overall benefits of the foundation and the work of the canine SAR teams are the silver lining and make persevering through the more heart-wrenching parts well worth the effort.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Fall Reading 2018 Past Due for Murder (Blue Ridge Library Mysteries #3)

One would think that hosting a bonfire and storytelling session would be fun, even if you were in charge of refreshments. And it seems that having a professor of folklore in town as part of a grant could only be a positive thing for the library. But as readers learn, nothing is ever that simple. For Amy Webber, the director of the public library, there is plenty of trouble involved when one of the professor's students goes missing.

Then, while everyone in town is looking for the missing young woman, a dead body is discovered. Are there connections between the two incidents? Has the young woman also suffered foul play? Who could have killed the victim and why? As usual Amy and her research skills come in handy for the investigators, but that will also put her at risk if the murderer decides that she knows too much.

The plot keeps revealing new details and possible connections between the characters, making it hard to decide which of them could be the guilty party. In Amy's case, she is distracted by odd behavior from her boyfriend, the presence of a former boyfriend in town, and dealing with a research team that is looking into local history.

The description of small town life with all its complicated relationships and traditions is very believable. The characters are distinct and entertaining,  and readers will return for further visits in Taylorsford feeling as though they are reuniting with old friends.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Giveaway: Bluecrowne by Kate Milford

I have an ARC of Bluecrowne: A Greenglass House Story for someone to enjoy. Good luck!

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Fall Reading 2018 Blacklisted: Hollywood, the Cold War, and the First Amendment

Looking for a book that ties in censorship, government oversight, and playing to the fears of the general public? The latest by Larry Dane Brimner has all of that and lots more. He traces the hearings held by the House Un-American Activities Committee as they confronted screenwriters, directors, and producers that they felt posed a threat. This perceived threat was based on involvement in Communist groups or what was seen as promoting Communist values through the movies they created.

Brimner walks readers through the hearings and how the Hollywood Ten, as the first "hostile witnesses" were called, denied the Committee's authority under the Constitution to question an individual's "political views and personal associations." That denial led to prison terms and heavy fines, the loss of their jobs and livelihoods, and widespread fallout in their personal lives, too. The book also includes photos of the HUAC members, the witnesses, as well as copies of political cartoons, telegrams, and other documents related to the hearings.

The incredible thing is that the committee members didn't seem to realize they were acting like Russian investigators during Stalin's purges rather than like elected representatives of a society that values the right to free speech and free association. The plentiful quotes from the men involved show their thought processes as they weigh the few options they have - admit they are a Communist and throw others under the bus (to use a colloquialism), or deny their affiliation and go to jail. It's a devil or the deep blue sea choice.

For middle school and older grades this is a helpful text to use when studying the Cold War. It also has the possibility of opening conversation about similarities to today's political climate.

I read a review copy provided by the publisher.

Fall Reading 2018 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List

As if I didn't have enough trouble keeping my TBR pile under control as it is, now this book comes along and recommends even more titles?! It's not that I haven't read any of the books the author discusses, it is the sheer number of others that he offers like a bibliophile's buffet. Mustich has covered a wide range of genres, age and reading levels, time periods, and cultures. Entries range from Aristotle to Vonnegut, bedtime stories such as Goodnight Moon to horror like Dracula, and adventures like Homer's Iliad or Ender's Game. 

The entry for a book might include a synopsis, a brief description of the authors' life, the social climate at the time of publication, or other relevant facts. Endnotes also point out other titles by the same author, books for further information about each subject, adaptations of the work, any awards it won, and read-alikes by other authors. It's like having an "if you like that, then try this" feature on steroids.

Quotes from critics or other authors underscore the sort of reactions a book inspires in its readers, although Mustich does a wonderful job of expressing his own opinions. He says this about Roald Dahl, for instance, "Standing out among his storytelling treats is Matilda, whose superheroine is heroic - and triumphant - first and foremost because she reads." Along with the written entries there are also images of authors, book covers, teaser posters for movie adaptations, historical photos, and reproductions of iconic illustrations. 

Booknote sidebars cover related titles, while More to Explore sections group books with similar themes (even other books about books). Back matter includes a general index of the books and authors mentioned, and "A Miscellany of Special Lists" has curated groupings of titles based on subject, style, or audience. The explanation of the book's organization explains all these features as well as letting readers know that over 3,000 authors and 6,000 additional books are mentioned besides the main entries. (So does that make it 7,000 books to read before you die?) The companion website has books indexed by chronology and genre. 

No matter what sort of reader you are - constant, binge, persnickety, omnivorous - you will find more useful information than you are likely to have the time to implement. I suggest investing in some highlighters or sticky tabs if you purchase a print version, or be prepared to bookmark your e-book edition like crazy. You won't want to forget any of the entries or other details that catch your interest.

Highly recommended for YA and up - or as a reference for school librarians and teachers to help steer students to titles that suit their tastes. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Giveaway Midnight Without a Moon

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About the book: It’s Mississippi in the summer of 1955, and thirteen-year-old Rose Lee Carter can’t wait to move north, following in the footsteps of her mama and her aunt. But for now, she’s living with Ma Pearl and Papa, her grandparents, who are sharecroppers on a cotton plantation.

A few towns over, a fourteen-year-old African American boy, Emmett Till, is killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman. When the killers are unjustly acquitted, Rose realizes that the South needs a change . . . and that she should be part of the movement. 

Linda William Jackson’s moving debut seamlessly blends a fictional portrait of an African American family and factual events from a famous trial that provoked change in race relations in the U.S.

(from the back cover)

- - - I have an advanced copy that needs a good home, so please enter.  :-)

Fall Reading 2018 Dragon's Code

For those of us who have been waiting to get more Piemur, specifically the details of what he was doing on the Southern continent under the Master Harper's orders, he is here. This book follows the events in Dragon Drums and interweaves with those of The White Dragon to flesh out what the harpers were doing to help with the tense situation of the Oldtimers deciding to withdraw from the Weyrs and the theft of the queen egg from Benden. It also lets us get a glimpse of Piemur's home in  Crom and his kin there. We see Toric of Southern Hold, observe some of the interactions between the Oldtimers, and spend time with dragonriders N'ton and J'hon. Of course, any story with Piemur couldn't be told without his friends Menolly and Sebell, as well as his fire-lizard Farli and his runnerbeast Stupid. 

This story fills a gap within the awesome Chronicles of Pern, bridging the continents, the Harper Hall and Weyrs, and even the Holds. It does an excellent job of underscoring what Master Robinton is always telling his proteges - that they are all dependent on each other and what affects one, affects them all. It is rewarding to see Piemur work to rise above his disappointment over losing his beautiful young singing voice and use the other skills he has to help those he cares about. 

While fans will recognize the characters and what is at stake in the conflicts, newcomers may be a bit frustrated by their lack of prior knowledge. The action begins in medias res and takes off from there, so they will have to do some reading between the lines to make sense of things. The characters are compelling enough that it probably won't put off many new readers, but they may want to go back to the original series and then revisit this again later to enjoy it even more. 

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Fall Reading 2018 History vs. Women: The Defiant Lives that They Don't Want You to Know

Tired of damsels in distress? Ready for some rebels, artists, scholars, amazons, and even villains? Then this is the book for you. Some of the women profiled within these pages may be familiar - Margaret Thatcher, Annie Easley - but others you have probably never heard of. How about Wang Zhenyi, a poet from the Qing Dynasty? She was born in 1768 and studied everything from astronomy to martial arts. In 1994 a crater on the planet Venus was named for her. "When you look into the night sky, seek out Venus and be dazzled by the celestial body and the woman who saw the stars and felt the wonder of the universe."

If stargazing isn't your style, perhaps you prefer the arts? Maria Tallchief and her brilliant performance as Ballanchine's Firebird may be more to your tastes. The first Native American prima ballerina explained her achievements by saying, "You do what you have to do, and when you must, then you do a little more." Or there is Murasaki Shikibu, who wrote The Tale of Genji around the year 1000, and it is considered the first modern novel. She "filled her novel with multifaceted female characters who provided a rare glimpse into how it felt to be a woman in her world."

After something more aggressive? What about Khutulun of Mongolia (born around 1260), who was even mentioned in the journals of Marco Polo? He was impressed with the way she would ride into battle with her father's troops and could capture an enemy "as deftly as a hawk pounces on a bird." She was also a champion wrestler and  refused to marry anyone who could not defeat her. There are also tales of a female pirate who commanded an entire fleet, women who were directors and producers in the early days of Hollywood, and those who stood against the practices of lynching during Jim Crow.

Recommended for anyone with an interest in women's history or feminism. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley. (Quotes are from that advance copy.)

Fall Reading 2018 Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters

"So what can young people do? Anything they set their minds to. And if they can do it, so can you."

This is a great book for young adults who are looking for a way to make a difference in their community or the larger world. Each chapter covers different aspects of putting together a program or group to make a change. Steps are covered such as figuring out your skills, your passion, and how to put that together into a plan of action. Within every chapter there is also a profile of a group or individual that has successfully accomplished their plan. Chapters also include an "In My Experience"section that shares insights from the author's own life with tidbits about launching a startup business, serving as a volunteer with different organizations, and becoming a group leader.

For adults working with youth in student government or other clubs, or for teens/tweens looking for guidance because they do not have an adult mentor (yet), this is a very useful guide with practical advice for each stage of the process. Back matter includes numerous resources such as websites, books, and even movies and television shows.

I usually share very recently released books or those pending release, but this book is so helpful that I had to spread the word. It was published in 2014.

Summer Reading 2018 Mecha Samurai Empire

In this complex story of alternate history in which Japan and Germany have conquered the world, teens in the United States of Japan are studying hard for their exams, hoping to finish high school and become mecha pilots. Being accepted as a crew member for one of the enormous combat robots is an incredible honor and highly competitive. Makoto Fujimoto is an orphan whose parents both served on mechas and died in combat. He and his friends spend their time playing video games on their porticals (a wireless device) when they aren't doing homework. In class they learn about things like "Abraham Lincoln, an old American warlord who savagely crushed a rebellion started by the southern half of the United States." What they don't seem to realize is how political the appointments to the military academy are, or how very slim their chances of earning a spot. 

As readers follow the fates of Mac (Makoto), Hideki, Griselda, Nori, and the others, the events that led to this alternate version of the U.S. are slowly revealed. There are rebels like the "George Washingtons" who want to free the states from Japanese rule, and there are tensions between the Japanese and German forces who divided North America after WWII. The Nazis have their own combat devices known as biomechs, which operate differently from the mecha warriors of the USJ. Not as much is disclosed about the biomechs since the story is told from a USJ citizen's point of view.

Between the historical changes, the resulting cultural changes (Vegas with a Japanese makeover for instance), and watching the struggles of an orphan without connections trying to compete with students who come from prominent families - there is plenty to hold the reader's attention. It may also cause some questioning and wondering what our world would look like today if WWII had ended differently.

Anyone who enjoys stories with a military setting, alternate history, or robot battles (major robot smackdowns), should give this a try. Recommended for ages 12 and up. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Summer Reading 2018 Medallion of Murder

Senior year is supposed to be the best part of high school, but Terry is still recovering from the crazy summer at an archaeological dig where she nearly died. Her friends Maude and Fraser are supportive, but her boyfriend is off at college and the occasional weekend visits aren't enough. There is school and decisions about where to go to college or whether to take a break and work. Strange dreams are disturbing Terry's sleep and they also hear that Tanya, a fellow student, is being treated at the local hospital. A homeless man shows up in several locations, even in the lobby of Terry's building. Another man is found dead in the neighborhood. Weird graffiti appears and includes some of the images from Terry's dreams. And how does it all tie in with strange comments from Tanya about "the power of three"? Terry has the mark of the asp, and she encountered the diadem at the dig. What is this third artifact?

With a mix of teenage romance, Egyptian mythology, mystery and some action scenes, this is a book that will pull readers in and keep them quickly turning the pages to see what happens next. Whether readers enjoy the mystique of ancient artifacts, the suspense of coded messages, the dynamics of teenage dating, or just the real drama of navigating the move from high school on to college and career - there is plenty to hold their attention.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Giveaway - Autographed Copy of Furyborn

I was lucky enough to win a copy of  Furyborn from the JLG booth at ALA. Since I have already read the book, I am sharing my good fortune. Please enter to win. Good luck!

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Summer Reading 2018 Whatever's Been Going on at Mumblesby?

Sadly, this is the last of the Flaxborough Chronicles. In this final appearance, Inspector Purbright attends a funeral service as Chief Constable Chubb's representative only to find that the widow has been locked in her house. Going to the rescue leads to a mess of unanswered questions that stretch back several years. Why did the deceased have valuable antiques that he had not purchased, items that had previously been owned by others in the village? As Sgt. Love and the Inspector begin to speak to the residents of Mumblesby and those from Flaxborough with long memories, Purbright begins to feel something is going on beyond outraged family members. Inconsistencies in interviews from a previous inquest, possible arson, and an attack on a house with large machinery are just some of the oddities that crop up. All the traditions and prejudices of rural English life are present and influence the outcome of the investigation. 

For those who have followed the career of Inspector Purbright from the beginning of the Flaxborough mysteries, this book will be a fond farewell to beloved characters. Purbright, Love, Chubb, Malley, Teatime and the others are all part of finding the answer to what's been going on. If you haven't yet tried this series, but enjoy British mysteries that are not too political or inordinately long in length, then you should pick up one of the titles.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Summer Reading 2018 Foundryside

This book starts off a new series with some very interesting characters and a lot of room to add others. The world is built on the ruins of a former civilization and the founders are using the scraps of what they have learned to create some amazing and some awful things. The protagonist, Sancia, is a thief - but readers will be very sympathetic to her as they learn more of her backstory and come to see why she is isolated, loath to touch anyone, and desperate to escape from her current location. She is not one of the fortunate who work directly for the Founders, and definitely not a member of one of the Founder families. So she has little hope of survival in their world of mechanical marvels that seem to run on magical inscriptions built into the mechanisms. But as we follow her path into an increasingly complicated situation, we can see how the traditions and customs of the Founders have created a strict class system, and how tightly controlled the power is within their world. The more hopeless the plight of those like Sancia seems, the more we root for her to succeed. As she weighs everyone she encounters to determine if they are ally or enemy, we look through her eyes and make those same judgments. We won't know if we are right, if she is right, until the very end. And even that is unsure, since it is only the first book in this new tale.

For those who like heroines who persist, even though they have been deeply wronged or hurt; for those who savor complicated plots and detailed settings; for those who have enjoyed stories such as The Court of Fives, or existing fans of Robert Jackson Bennett - give this book a try. 

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Summer Reading 2018 Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History

In a time when most women were expected to stay at home and take care of the kids, some women defied expectations and set out to conquer the skies. Fighting societal expectations, pressure from family and strangers, and overwhelming odds, they struggled to find sponsors and planes in order to compete with the men. It was no easy thing to be a successful flyer even if you were male; many popular pilots were injured or killed by accidents and mechanical failures. And the women were often banned from even entering the competitions, or else they were made into a sideshow or segregated into a Powder Puff Derby situation.

Despite all the obstacles and odds against them, the women featured in this book did not give up. They managed to set records, beat men, and find their way into history. The name most people will recognize is Amelia Earhart, but she was not the only aviatrix of her day, or even the most skilled. Read Fly Girls and find out about the others, and how they all competed with each other and the men, but also formed friendships that lasted throughout their lives. This is a great piece of nonfiction writing, full of quotes from the women and details about their lives, hopes, and dreams.

If you enjoy history, learning about strong women who go after what they believe in, or aviation in general - you need to read this book. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Summer Reading 2018 #Murdertrending

Are you familiar with the way the movie "Death Race" starring Jason Statham updated the original? Well, this book reminds me of an update of the movie "Running Man." There are the thematic executioners, the well publicized deaths of those convicted and sent by the Justice Department to serve their sentence within the reality show, and the betting on the outcome of each match-up. There is even the rigging of a trial to send someone into the show that does not belong there.

But the updates make the show seem so much more possible, which makes the whole story frightening on an entirely different level. It's bad enough that those sent to Alcatraz 2.0 are killed off by government sanctioned psychos like Prince Slycer who dresses his victims as Disney princesses before stabbing them, or by Gassy Al in his poison chamber. Now add the modern habit of posting everything to social media, creating memes of it, tagging it and watching it trend, all the while discussing whether the video feed is real or not. (#FakeNews) 

The characters themselves are varied and interesting. A teen accused of murdering her stepsister. A fitness nut convicted of killing a client. A premed student who supposedly poisoned his own parents. Everyone has a backstory, as well as the role that has been chosen for them within Alcatraz 2.0 - the moody Brit, the hottie, the young princess, etc.

If you enjoy stories that are uncomfortably close to real life in some ways, while being incredibly imaginative in others - then pick up a copy of #Murdertrending as soon as possible. Highly recommended for YA and older readers. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Summer Reading 2018 Blue Murder (Flaxborough Chronicles #12)

Investigative journalists from London have arrived in Flaxborough hot on the trail of a juicy story. Could residents really have been making and distributing pornographic films? How did the films wind up in foreign markets? Who tipped the reporters off to the story? And which familiar faces will be seen when the copy of the film is played?

The reporters don't get off to a very good start, running into a constable while driving along a blocked lane on market day. The constable would love to see the driver brought up on charges for attempted homicide, but the team finally settles into a rented farmhouse to begin their work. The journalists tap into local sources for information, bring in a translator (since the film has been dubbed in another language for the foreign viewers), and even have the legal advice of  a lawyer sent from the newspaper's head office.

Why do things start going wrong? Did the informant that first broke the story have ulterior motives? Is the film what it is purported to be? And who is responsible for kidnapping the chief journalist? Can one small village really be the source of this much trouble?

These mysteries are carefully constructed so that everything dovetails neatly in the end, but readers must be patient with the slower speed of investigations set in a time before internet, CCTV, and other modern conveniences. Recommended for lovers of cozy mysteries in historical settings. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Summer Reading 2018 Plaster Sinners (Flaxborough Chronicles #11)

Sid Love, faithful constable, is perusing items at a local auction when he is hit from behind and no one sees his assailant. While poor Sid is rushed to the hospital, the auction goes on without him and the lot he was interested in sells for an incredible amount. What is it about the last few belongings of a recently deceased resident of the local retirement home that can cause such interest and violence?

Inspector Purbright must delve into the affairs of some of the local gentry, which always makes his Chief a bit anxious. Chief Constable Chubb has a great respect for tradition and treating the landed folk of the area with kid gloves, which makes it more difficult for Purbright and the rest of the force to investigate. 

It seems that the plaster scene painted during therapy at the retirement home holds some sort of secret. Why are the folks up at the hall hiding the fact of a break-in? How did a stranger who was at the auction wind up dead in the lock? And how could a retiree, the local gentry, and a petty thief have anything in common? Purbright will have to delve back into Flaxborough history to find the roots of this mystery and the identity of the mysterious thief.

As usual, the characters of Flaxborough all play various parts in solving the mystery. Sergeant Malley's knowledge of the local residents and village history is very helpful. Miss Teatime shows up briefly at the auction. And loyal retainer Benton, up at the hall, provides a few tidbits, too.

These mysteries are carefully constructed so that everything dovetails neatly in the end, but readers must be patient with the slower speed of investigations set in a time before internet, CCTV, and other modern conveniences. Recommended for lovers of cozy mysteries in historical settings. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.