#demigods on speedway

[mjbookreviews]

BOOKS TO END 2017, PART 1

So after a couple months of work and grad school applications, I’m back. I read a lot of books in 2017, and I was going to do individual reviews for every book, but frankly, ain’t nobody got time for that. So here are some quick thoughts of the rest of the books I read in 2017.  (Yes, I know that it is already February of 2018.)  

         Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

Continuing my theme of post-apocalyptic/dystopian/speculative fiction/magical realism books, Brown Girl in the Ring is set in a future Toronto and follows Ti-Jeanne, a young single mother of Caribbean ancestry. She lives with her grandmother, Gros-Jeanne, a very traditional and spiritual woman. It is through Gros-Jeanne that most of the Afro-Caribbean culture is introduced, and the spirits and magic that inhabit the pages of this book are absolutely incredible.  This was Hopkinson’s debut novel, and that does show a bit at points, but it was overall an incredibly imaginative and interesting novel.

         Demigods on Speedway by Aurelie Sheehan

Another short story collection.  Set in Tucson, it follows characters that roughly resemble figures from Greek mythology, some I was easily able to draw the parallels between (i.e. Zero is a stand-in for Zeus, a power-hungry business man prone to extramarital affairs), while others I had no clue who they were inspired by.  Perhaps I was missing out on something because of this, but I still for the most part enjoyed the stories—well written, with complex characters. See previous entries to learn about my ongoing struggle to improve my ability to interpret or analyze short stories, though.

         Duplex by Kathryn Davis

Duplex was wild.  I picked it up because it was described as speculative fiction, but this is no Margaret Atwood.  Honestly, I had no idea what to make of it, and I still don’t.  The only thing I know is that Davis can really capture the essence of girlhood in the strangest ways possible, and I left the book uncommonly sad for main characters Mary and Eddie—I have a thing for stories of childhood sweethearts.  (Probably because I’m trying to live vicariously through such characters, pretending I can still find this kind of love, etc. etc.)

         Silk Road by Jeanne Larsen

Definitely one of my favorites of this batch of books.  I don’t really know anything about Jeanne Larsen’s educational background, but as evidenced by this book, she seems to be an expert on Chinese history and culture.  I was completely absorbed by the stories she introduced in this novel, especially because I personally know very little about Chinese mythology.  It’s a bit difficult to succinctly describe what happens in the book because there are so many different threads to the plot, but at its most basic level, this is a story of a little girl, Green Pearl, who is kidnapped and sold into slavery and her lifelong quest to find her real mother.  I couldn’t help but think of Green Pearl as almost a new version of Hamlet—she has a specific mission (find her mother), but never really does anything about it, which is kind of frustrating at times as the story winds its way across the Tang dynasty Chinese empire, but through Larsen’s meta-textual storytelling, I was happy to go along for the ride.

         The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones

Another dystopian!  But this novel kept being… not what I expected.  So I spent the entire time reading it trying to adjust my expectations, and I still have mixed feelings about the result.  (I think part of my problem is that I’m used to watching and reading things like The Walking Dead, where there’s a clear enemy, and this enemy always has a diabolical plot that goes deeper than you can imagine.)  In The Salt Line, the characters that you think might be the bad guys are actually just human, making stupid mistakes like the rest of us.  Which is all fine and good, but just so far from what I was expecting.  For a quick summary, the novel takes place in a time where the United States is divided up into zones, and outside of these zones is supposedly just wilderness, where ticks carrying deadly diseases live in abundance.  For the very rich, there is a program where you can go out into this wilderness for a safe, guided tour.  This might get a bit spoilery, but one of issues I had with the book was that the hostage plot created by the leaders of Ruby City (a secret community outside the border walls) for the rich campers seemed incredibly useless and frustrating.  I read this book in September of 2017, so my memories of the actual plot are hazy, but I couldn’t for the life of me follow the logic of the steps these characters took.  I was further bothered by the description of Ruby City—it seemed a classic case of so perfect, it’s sinister.  Yes, there was a catch to their existence outside the “salt line,” but I couldn’t help but find myself skeptical of the place that apparently even cured a character’s depression.  But maybe I need to re-read it.

         A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

Of the seven books in this installment of reviews, if you read only one, make it A Thousand Acres.  This is a re-telling of King Lear set in 1970s Iowa, and we view the events from eldest daughter Ginny’s point of view.  Her thoughts are captured perfectly, and Smiley’s attention to detail and form is exquisite.  If you want to read a book where you can be convinced to sympathize with a character who plots to kill her own sister, pick this up.  Smiley is nothing short of genius here, and her updates to Lear feel so right and powerful, especially from a female perspective.

         The Baum Plan for Financial Independence by John Kessel

A great collection of science fiction stories.  I was particularly drawn to the Lunar Colony Sequence, which told stories from a matriarchal society built on the moon.  I loved how Kessel explored the way a matriarchal society could and would be built, and how this society would affect both men and women, positively and negatively.  I can’t imagine the amount of work and imagination that went into creating this world, with everything from lunar government to the role of men’s rights activists figured out.  I also particularly liked a short little story comprised of dialogue between two operators of an absurd phone-sex company.  The warmth and humor Kessel creates with every plot and character is beautiful.

[catgroovical]

The Very Late 500+ Followers Celebration Post

I’ve been on this hell site for the better part of a decade now and I have regretted most aspects of it. I don’t regret that 500+ people (and 50~ of them being porn bots) have chosen to hit that follow button and see what content I reblog and post. I especially don’t regret meeting some great people on here and the experiences I’ve had with them.

Those friends being

@dreshdae

@handsomezack

@cakelizard

@coffee-spawn

@dreamcenter-archive

Thank you so very much for the good times and fun memories. I’m hard at expressing my feelings through text, but just know that I love y’all very, very much.

I also want to thank

@cold-lemons

@wadanohara

@karasukid

For being the last 3 followers I needed to hit the 500 mark. (I know that happened like, a month ago but still) I’ve started getting into Fire Emblem thanks to y’all, and I’m excited to fall into that hole.

I’d also like to provide a shout-out to my the following folks: @hatana-sinclaire @pug--it @p1nkbr0 @lt-blueballs @thatpeskylumber @onnanoko-sekai @thatoffensivespacecaptain @osipingi @roguesquadron2 @meatchunk28 @mr--potatobutt @qannuk @bagelhumper @rebe83 @oppa-gangnam-style @ram-me-ramiel @ramiel @shamalamadingdong42 @stardusty-speedway @doublebarrelledwizard @peter-twerk @oonoda @rubiksclues @boltertokokoro and @demigod-who-crashed-the-impala <- they’re my first follower! I’m sorry if I missed anyone who I should’ve tagged. (I’m also endorsing all the blogs tagged here. There’s some really good people behind those blogs, and they’re well worth your attention!) Here’s to another 500 followers and more wasted fun years of this hellscape kind of acceptable site, everyone! Thank you all!