#Aline Bosh McKenna

[ladyherenya]

Books read in March

If there was a theme this month, it was: retellings. This was something of an unintentional theme, since what I read next depends a lot on what’s available from the library, but certainly a theme which is indicative of my tastes.

Favourite cover: Sherwood.

Reread: Nothing, too many other things to read.

Still reading: Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow.

Next up: Pride by Ibi Zoboi, Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser, A Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons and Undying by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. 

... and I just checked my library account and there are five more books waiting for me! FIVE. Why must you all be available at once?

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing. And also Dreamwidth.)

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (translated by Rod Bradbury, narrated by Steven Crossley): On his birthday, Allan Karlsson escapes from his nursing home and gets on a bus, taking with him a suitcase that doesn’t belong to him. The story alternates between Allan’s adventures in the present day, and his bizarre exploits throughout the politics and conflicts of the 20th century, travelling through (or trying to escape from) different countries, meeting an unlikely number of important world leaders and blowing things up. I listened to the audiobook, a format that I find much more conducive to being amused by this sort of story.

Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White: Sequel to Heartstone, a fantasy retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Aliza has married Lord Alastair Daired. When Alastair and his dragon Akarra are offered a contract in the north, Aliza insists on coming too. Aliza is still processing the trauma of war, and adjusting to a new stage of life. It’s less common for fantasy to show the early days of a marriage (and of a pregnancy), which makes for some interesting territory to explore. As for worldbuilding, I needed a glossary or more in-text reminders. I enjoyed Heartstone more, but I want to see what’s next for Aliza.

A Sudden Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna: Esmae, the secret twin sister of an exiled prince, has a plan to see her brother regain his throne. It involves going against the advice of the war goddess Amba, winning a competition, revealing her identity and pretending to take her uncle’s side. This hooked me from the very beginning. I liked the worldbuilding, the complex family relationships, the sentient spaceship, the prose and how some of the twists took me by surprise. It would have made an even bigger impact if it’d made me more invested in all of Esmae’s relationships, but I have high hopes for the sequel.

Possession by A.S. Byatt: Two English scholars investigate a relationship between two Victorian poets. I read this with delight, then disappointment, then an urgency that surprised me and then, finally, with bittersweet pleasure. Possession is about things I feel strongly about: libraries, poetry, fairytales, academic interpretations of past women, the joys of language and of narratives. It’s about the possession of, and the desire to possess, knowledge, objects, relationships, the full story. I like the parallels -- themes and variations -- between the two sets of characters. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings. I’ve bought my own copy and carefully bookmarked all the quotes.

Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley: Lyn, a literary agent, is invited to spend Christmas with a couple of authors in Wales. The Overdrive description makes this sound sombre and creepy. But although Lyn’s backstory is sad, this story isn’t. It has warmth and a web of relationships like something from a comedy of manners. I liked the historical details about Tudor kings, the references to Arthurian legends, Lyn’s confidence in dealing with writers with strong personalities and the delight she finds in exploring coastal Wales. The mystery of her dreams and Elen’s fears was a good amount of suspense with a hopeful resolution.

The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard:  A novella about a mindship and a scholar investigating a death. I read this not because it is a Sherlock Holmes retelling but because it promised one of my favourite things: an AI with feelings! Also: tea! It’s set in an unfamiliar universe -- “a galactic empire inspired by Vietnamese culture” -- and involves mind-altering substances, something I’m irrationally squeamish about. But being a Holmes retelling gave this story a comforting sort of familiarity and predisposed me to liking the characters. (Although I would have instantly warmed to The Shadow’s Child anyway. I just want ships to be happy...)

Circe by Madeline Miller: I impulsively borrowed this, and then doubted whether I’d like it. Was this going to be an exercise in watching everything go wrong? I kept reading because I’d become invested in Circe, and because the prose is so compelling. This is sharply written and unflinching about gods and mortals, but it is not as bitter as I expected. It’s a lot more hopeful -- a story about freedom, transformation and life in a way I found surprising and deeply satisfying. It’s also a fascinating and complex portrayal of Odysseus that focuses on the impact this charismatic and deeply flawed man has on others.

Jane by Aline Brosh McKenna (illustrated by Ramâon Pâerez): Jane moves to New York to study art and gets a job as a nanny. This graphic novel follows Jane Eyre loosely, which allows for changes that suit the contemporary setting and the format, and introduces a greater level of surprise for someone familiar with Jane Eyre. It’s not as complex or as serious as Charlotte Brontë’s novel, but it isn’t trying to be. There were a lot of things I really liked about the illustrations, such as their use of light, colour and perspective. I wasn’t such a fan of the way faces were drawn. Not quite my style?

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas: Very satisfying as a story playing with the Holmes-and-Watson mythos in some unexpected ways, as a murder mystery and as a story about the constraints and opportunities women in Victorian society had. Disgraced Charlotte Holmes runs away from home and tries to find a job in London. When one of the gossips responsible for exposing Charlotte dies, suspicion falls on Charlotte’s sister and Charlotte uses the persona of “Sherlock” Holmes to direct a murder investigation. I’d have liked to have seen more of relationship between the Holmes sisters. Maybe there will be more of that in the sequels.

Maskerade by Terry Pratchett (narrated by Nigel Planer): Another story about telling stories. Agnes suspects that Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg have her in mind to become a witch, and she goes off to Ankh-Morpork to join the opera. After Lords and Ladies I wanted to read more about Agnes. I enjoyed the mystery, the play on The Phantom of the Opera, the further adventures of Granny and Nanny, and the appearance of some of the Watch. The conclusion to Agnes’ opera career was less satisfying.

Grumpy Fake Boyfriend by Jackie Lau:  An introverted SF author agrees to pretend to be a boyfriend for a weekend. I liked the set-up and the way the characters discover that they don’t have to agree or have the same tolerance for socialising -- they can be themselves with each other. But on the whole, the execution of this romance didn’t really appeal to me.

Forever in Your Service by Sandra Antonelli: I had a mixed reaction to At Your Service, but liked Mae and Kitt enough to read the sequel. Sometimes I wanted it to slow down and explain things -- like characters’ thoughts, theories and feelings -- a bit more. That said, the tendency for understating rather than overstating is one I appreciate. And I like that, as Mae and Kitt navigate the challenges of Kitt’s job, their relationship is believably complicated. While this spy story isn’t quite my genre (I’m more of a cosy mystery or romantic suspense person), it certainly wasn’t boring or predictable.

Sherwood by Meagan Spooner (narrated by Fiona Hardingham): I love the way this twists and reimagines the Robin Hood story, putting Marian at the centre. Her grief, her history with Robin and her ideas about what he would do, her skill as an archer, her passion to fight injustice, her frustrations and discomfort with being a noblewomen, her relationships, her mistakes, her discovery that she’s the only one who wants to change things. Sherwood surprised me, gave me lots of feelings and made me stay up until 2am. It successfully does something different while still including much that is familiar. A poignant, compelling retelling. I was completely hooked.

[film-book]

CRUELLA: Disney Begins Prep on Live-Action Cruella de Vil Film

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