Library Finds: March 2019

My new library books

Our new library has bright indoor lights and windows from floor to ceiling. It's wide, long, and spacious, and there are comfortable sofas and chairs with a living room setting in this corner and that. When I go there to just browse, or so I think, I often come away with not one or two, but three and four books I never intended to borrow. 

But a favorite author's new book grabbed my attention, then another, then a book that I saw on social media being touted by the publisher, then a book suggested by a friend I met in the stacks. Here are three of the books I got.  

The Golden Tresses of the Dead is the latest in the Flavia de Luce mystery series

The Sun is Also a Star is a teen romance that will be released as a movie this May. I am enjoying its dissection of love into the scientific and romantic.

I have also borrowed:

The Plotters by Un-Su Kim is described as a crime novel set in an alternate Seoul, Korea. I am not normally a fantasy or sci-fi fan, but we'll see....

Did you find anything you liked at the library recently?

First Chapter: The Genius Plague by David Walton

First Chapter, First Paragraph is a weekly meme hosted by Bibliophile By the Sea on Tuesdays. Join in by sharing the first paragraph of a book you are reading or plan to read, and linking up on the website.

The Genius Plague by David Walton, publication October 3, 2017 by Pyr

Genre: novel, fantasy, sci-fi

First paragraph:

Prologue

Paul Johns hadn't seen another human being in six days.
He emerged from the Amazon rainforest, tired and sore, but exhilarated, the sudden brightness bringing a smile to his face. The river sparkled, a vast body of water several kilometers across, even this far from its mouth.  

Ahead stood a riverboat station, little more than a few rotting benches and a sign propped against an ancient wooden dock. The sign listed the boat pickup schedule, in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, the words faded and water stained. A dozen or more tourists sat on the benches or milled around nearby, waiting for the boat. Seeing them felt like spotting a rare animal in the brush. Paul's first instinct was to approach quietly, lest he startle them away.

Book description:

In the Amazon jungle, a disease is spreading. To those who survive, it grants enhanced communication, memory, and pattern recognition. But the miracle may be the sinister survival mechanism of a fungal organism, manipulating the infected into serving it.

Paul Johns, a mycologist, is convinced the fungal host is the next stage of human evolution, while his brother Neil, an analyst at the NSA, is committed to its destruction. (publisher)

Based on the beginning and the description, would you keep reading?

Sunday Salon: Indoor Reading Weather

Welcome to the Sunday Salon where bloggers share their reading each week. Visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer.
Also visit Mailbox Monday, and It's Monday, What Are You Reading? hosted by Book Date. 

The weather, an endless source of commentary, was very weird yesterday, no other word for it. 

The day started out sunny and relatively warm, then the temps dropped and snow in fat flakes fell, turning into sleet and then heavy rain. The sun came out again, briefly, and then the flaky snow came back. Soon after, little balls of white, like tiny hail stones started to salt the grass, then more heavy rain. It was something to behold, from behind the safety and warmth of a wide window! 

Only two new books last week, one for a tour, a suspense novel which I have just finished!

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh, to be released May 3, 2016 by Berkley. 
Jenna Gray moves to a ramshackle cottage on the remote Welsh coast, to escape the memory of the car accident that plays again and again in her mind and to heal from the loss of her child and the rest of her painful past. (publisher)
Imagine my surprise as I read on and found things are not what they seem and people are not who you think ....My review will be posted on May 10.

The Drafter by Kim Harrison, a sci-fi thriller in the Peri Reed Chronicles, paperback to be released April 19, 2016 by Pocket Books.
Detroit 2030. Double-crossed by the person she loved and betrayed by the covert government organization that trained her, Peri Reed is a renegade on the run. She is a drafter, possessed of a rare, invaluable skill for altering time, yet destined to forget both the history she changed and the history she rewrote. 

I am not a sci-fi fan, but this one sounds interesting nevertheless. 

What is new on your reading desk? 

Book Review: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, Book 1) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder (Book One in the Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer
Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 400 pages; Feiwel & Friends
Release date: January 3, 2012
Objective rating: 5/5

I wasn't sure about this reworking of the Cinderella fairy tale, but I was hooked by the cover and by the opening sentences. I wanted to know more about this futuristic version, a Cyborg Cinderella.

"The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle. Her knuckles ached from forcing the screwdriver into the joint as she struggled to loosen the screw one gritting twist after another. By the time it was extracted far enough for her to wrench free with her prosthetic steel hand, the hairline threads had been stripped clean." (from an uncorrected proof. Final copy may differ).

Cinder is virtually enslaved to her wicked stepmother, selling cyborg parts and repairing robots in the open market to make money for the household. Things begin to change for her when the Prince comes to her market stall wanting someone to fix his antiquated android. She catches his eye but Cinder is determined to hide her steel hand and foot from him, fearing rejection. Cinder, however, is only 35% cyborg, fixed and renewed with mechanical parts as a very young child after surviving a house fire that killed her real mother. She knows little about her parents or her past, just that her stepfather, now deceased, had been responsible for saving her, mending her, and bringing her home to his family.

The Prince in the meantime befriends Cinder, his "mechanic", hoping she will help him avoid the beautiful but dreaded Lunar Queen, queen of the moon people, who is determined to forge an alliance with Earth through marriage to the Prince. The real conflict and danger for Cinder is not her stepmother, as in the original fairy tale, but this queen who uses magic and "glamour" to control and manipulate everyone who sees her.

Comments: The well-written and entertaining book shows how Cinder escapes dangers after finding out her true identity. I was totally entranced with this futuristic version of the Cinderella story, and I am way past being a teenager or young adult, the targeted audience. I recommend it for its highly imaginative plot, which made it very enjoyable reading.

GIVEAWAY of the Audio CD: enter now through Jan. 3, 2012 at this link: Enter to win the Audio CD of Cinder.

 A complimentary ARE of this book was sent me for possible review

© Harvee Lau  of Book Dilettante. Please do not reprint without permission.

Sunday Salon: It's Been a Month...

Welcome to the Sunday Salon! Click on the logo to join in!

The summer is winding down and it has been a hectic one ever since it started. This is my first Sunday Salon in a month!

I started the Steig Larsson trilogy, reviewed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, re-read The Girl Who Played with Fire (Vintage)  and finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. (The second book in the trilogy and an ARC of the third were sent to me by the publisher some time ago. I went out and bought the first book to have all three).

All the books are top notch thrillers. The main character in the books, Lisbeth Salander, is someone we root for - she refuses to be a recurring victim of anyone or any system. Once she becomes an adult and can stand up for herself, once is enough, and then she fights back - spectacularly. I only wish Larsson were alive to enjoy the success of his books.

Also reviewed Extinction - the Ultimate Holocaust, a sci-fi novel by Dan Ailey, and wrote a  couple of short verses for Magpie Tales, hosted by Willow.

On Monday, I'll post two sentences for a 140-character response to a photo prompt, a meme called Microfiction Monday, hosted by Stony River. It's been fun writing poetry or something short using photo prompts provided by the hosts.


Finished an enjoyable, light mystery set in Charlotte, North Carolina, A Corpse for Yew (A Peggy Lee Garden Mystery) written by Joyce and Jim Lavene. I plan to get others in the series when I return the book to the library. The book will be a fun read as long as you are not too fussy about incidentals such as setting and a crime scene not described very well. The interesting characters and the garden/plant information more than make up for that however.
That's all I did the past week or two. What books have you finished?

© Harvee Lau, Book Bird Dog

 

Book Review: Extinction by Dan Ailey

Hosted by MizB, Teaser Tuesdays asks you to choose two sentences at random from your current read. Identify the author and title for readers.

Extinction: The Ultimate Holocaust: The Plan to Exterminate Humanity:

"Yeah, I read about one guy who mounted a laser range finder on a spinning mirror, for all around detection capability. Maybe we could add something like to our robots."
 (ch. 7)

Description of Extinction: The Ultimate Holocaust: The Plan to Exterminate Humanity:
"Disappointed by the inability of the world's governments and conservation organizations to protect wildlife and prevent global warming or resource depletion, this brilliant yet despicable group concludes that human beings are inherently incapable of controlling population growth. They foresee the continued exploitation of the world's natural resources and the existential threat to the survival to all but the most elementary forms of life on earth. The group concludes that the only way to eliminate these threats to the environment is to eliminate the human species altogether.

Under the disguise of a conservation organization called Pleistocene Restoration Organization, the group begins to orchestrate the eventual extinction of the human species with the use of sophisticated robots. Fortunately, the engineers who created the robotic software learn of the organization's nefarious plan and battle to expose the true intentions of the evil organization." (Goodreads)
 
My comments: Very intriguing concept for a sci-fi novel - reduce or wipe out to near extinction the human race in order to preserve the earth and return it to its former wild state. Create robots to do all the work normally done by humans and make humans expendable.

Of course, this kind of solution to the environmental crisis creates its own problems. Control the humans, but who then can or will control the robots who are programmed to run the show? A novel of intrigue and suspense by retired university professor of biology, Dan Ailey.

I would have preferred if Ailey had not outlined the plot in the Prologue of his novel. It spoils the surprise. I would suggest readers skip the prologue to get the full effect of the novel.

Author: Dan Ailey
Paperback: 407 pages
Publisher: PublishAmerica (September 14, 2009)
Genre: Sci-fi
Source: Review copy provided by Carol Fass Publicity
Objective rating: 4 out of 5

Guest Author: Marshall Chamberlain, adventure-thriller writer

Thanks, Marshall Chamberlain, for telling us about your adventure/thriller,
The Mountain Place of Knowledge.

Chamberlain:  "I thank the host for inviting me to write this guest-post as part of introducing The Mountain Place of Knowledge, Book I in my Ancestor Series of adventure-thrillers."

"Although I’ve labeled the books in the Ancestor Series adventure-thrillers, they would fit well in one or more of the other thriller sub-genres: action, suspense or mystery. BOOK I, The Mountain Place of Knowledge, centers on discovery of a mysterious place of knowledge created by “The Ancestors” 180,000 years ago and located inside a mountaintop in Belize. The plot focuses on two feisty scientists, unable or unwilling to acknowledge they care for each other, who are recruited to investigate the mysterious death of a UN administrator vacationing in Belize.... The unfolding adventure turns perilous with the discovery of an ancient Mayan codex, describing the secret entrance to a mountain and unfathomable wonders inside."

"Some readers have asked me...why I choose Belize as the setting for Book I, The Mountain Place of Knowledge....the beginning of the first draft of Book I was originally about Myakka, a young girl on her path to becoming a powerful sorceress. I got the name from a river in Southwest Florida. The name sounded Mayan, so I set the first book in Belize because 600 years ago the area supported several powerful city-states."

"The STORIES IN THE ANCESTOR SERIES contain scatterings of plausible technological gadgetry, are sprinkled with eastern metaphysical philosophy, and run for readers like raging rivers. Themes of the existence of mythical ancient races, adventure in strange inhospitable environments, discovery of arcane ancient technology and instruments of immense power, encounter with various forms of evil and heedless slaughter, and attraction and growth of a young man and woman sharing experiences of hazardous sojourns are ageless attractions for avid thriller readers."

        Tell us a little about yourself:

"Way before taking up the pen, I received graduate degrees from Michigan State University and The American Graduate School of International Management, served as an officer in the USMC, and spent many years in investment banking and finance. Today I live and write on Estero Island, better known as Fort Myers Beach, in an apartment near the water I refer to as 'The Writing Rock.'”        

Chamberlain's Book Tour through Pump Up Your Book Promotions will be posted tomorrow, June 6!  

Thanks for visiting, Marshall. The series sound fascinating for lovers of adventure!

You can reach Marshall Chamberlain at author@gracepublishing.org  and at the links, The Mountain Place of Knowledge and Sample Chapters.

Movie vs. Book: The Time Traveler's Wife

I know The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger got many rave reviews so I chose to see the movie today although I had really felt like watching a light film about food, Julia and Julie, which is also in the theaters.

That may be the reason I didn't enjoy The Time Traveler's Wife. I found it depressing, not just sad. It also combines many different genres and is confusing as a result. It was a Back to the Future type of fantasy, plus a tragedy and a romance, in addition to being science fiction (with the seriousness of Frankenstein but without the horror aspects). I came out of the film feeling unsatisfied and a bit distressed, as I had been looking forward to an entertaining afternoon with the likes of Meryl Streep in a film about cooking.

I haven't read either book as yet. Maybe The Time Traveler's Wife has really excellent prose, and there may even be pathos in Julie and Julia, which I plan to read. I may skip The Time Traveler's Wife, but I know many readers will want to read it for the same reasons I didn't like it in the film.

Medusa: The Beginning by Kathi Harris

Kathi Harris's Medusa: The Beginning is a sci-fi novel published in 2007. It describes the rise of an African-American to the presidency of the United States in the middle of troubled times.

"Many of you have already accepted the fact that I am African American and realize my color makes no difference in my ability to lead or to inspire..."

The preceding is an excerpt from the novel, part of the president's acceptance speech.

The author is truly excited that her book has been so predictive of what has happened in America in 2008. To see more of the speech and learn more about her book, visit Kathi Harris's Book Corner, Lake Tales
or Lark Song


YOUR VIEWS: Does Obama's win change people's perception of race?

Medusa: The Beginning, book review

Kathi Harris's Medusa: The Beginning is a 730-page novel, divided into several sections, the first section set in the West Indian island of Jamaica, where Kathi was born and raised. Here she details the lives of two young people from the countryside who meet in the capital city, Kingston, where they marry and raise a family of five girls, the last girl later becoming the heroine of this science fiction novel.

The first section, 221 pages, I would call "The Quintessential Jamaican Novel," were it a book in itself. The story reflects Jamaican customs and manners in detail, and the dialect or patois spoken and understood by all Jamaicans is used heavily in this section. Kathi has added a glossary for all readers, which "translates" some of the dialect words and expressions into standard English.

In the second section of the book, the family migrates to America and settles in Florida. There they encounter life and the culture of a different country, but more opportunities open up to them. This section deals with American politics at home and abroad and tackles global problems such as pollution, changes in the environment, and introduces in her novel, a Black president!

Kathi's website, Larksong, gives a summary of the novel's plot and the importance of the young girl, Lark, to this sci-fi story of the survival of mankind.

A higher education and counseling graduate from the University of Toledo, where she received her Ph.D., she admits she prefers writing to just about anything else and is now waiting to publish Book II in the Medusa series.

An article from the London Times discusses how sci fi can point to the things we should be concerned about:
Why Don't We Love Science Fiction:

Book provided by the author for my objective review.