By Ursula K. Le Quin Ace Books, ISBN: 978-0441478125 Paperback, 304 pages. ©1987 On Gethen, human envoy Genly Ai has been sent to convince the planet’s leaders to join the Ekumen, a loose confederation of planets who do not rule one another, but who cooperate in matters of interest to all Ekumen members. Barriers to…
Category: Reviews
Shine Shine Shine
By Lydia Netzer St. Martin’s Press, ISBN: 978-1250007070 Paperback, ©2012, 320 pages Sunny is the social anchor of her neighborhood, coordinating craft shows and support groups, serving as the reliable and rock-steady block mom everyone turns to in a crisis. Maxon, her husband, is a genius engineer who is on his way to the moon…
What Not to Do
(Caveat: It is not my habit or intention to belittle another author’s writing. That said, I don’t always like everything I read. Do you? The statements herein are my opinion only. Your mileage may vary.) This is not a book review. I just want that clear right up front, because in this post I want…
A God In Ruins
By Kate Atkinson Back Bay Books, ISBN: 978-0316176507 Paperback, ©2016, 480 pages Ex-bomber pilot Teddy, a.k.a. Edward Todd, has settled into an expected post-war role of husband and father, living out his days in small-town mediocrity with enigmatic wife Nancy, unlikeable daughter Viola, volatile grandson Sunny and pragmatic granddaughter Bertie. He is content to write…
Life After Life
By Kate Atkinson Back Bay Books, ISBN: 978-0316176491 Paperback, ©2013, 560 pages On February 11, 2010, a young girl is born to a wealthy English family. Due to a snowstorm and blocked roads, the doctor cannot arrive in time, and the child dies. On February 11, 2010, a young girl named Ursula is born to…
The Girl on the Train
By Paula Hawkins The Penguin Group, ISBN: 9780698185395 Paperback, ©2015, 416 pages Rachel’s teetering on the edge. Alcoholism and bitterness over her failed marriage nudges her closer every day to total loss of what little she has left. Her only bright spot is the daily commute to London where her train stops at a faulty…
Red Moon
by Benjamin Percy Grand Central Publishing, ISBN: 978-1455501670 Mass Market Paperback, © 2013, 668 pages They live among us. They might be our neighbor, our pastor, our doctor, our teacher, our spouse, our child. Most of the time, they look like us—except when they don’t. Except when stress or anger or fear incites the prion…
Native Seeds
by Catherine Wells Novella, 19,132 Words Published in the November 2017 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact Edited by Trevor Quachri After the Food Wars and a series of global storms and other cataclysms force the evacuation of Earth, two small bands of survivors remain behind. The Men on the Mountain depend on left-over…
The Faraway Nearby
By Rebecca Solnit Penguin Books, © 2014 ISBN 978-0143125495, 272 pages Like I said before, I don’t usually read memoirs. At least, I haven’t in the past. This is my second one this month, and I have to say I may be changing my mind. Though I have to say that this isn’t exactly a…
Bumbling Into Body Hair
By Everett Maroon First Ed. Booktrope, © 2012, ISBN 9781935961338, 250 pages Second Ed. Smashwords, © 2016, ISBN 9781370241484 I don’t usually read memoirs, as a rule. I never thought they would interest me. I was wrong. Bumbling Into Body Hair is a story of the author’s transition from Jenifer to Everett, and all the…