Bette & Joan: The Divine Feud by Shaun Considine

Review by JJares

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

Review by Cyndi J. (cyndij)

Freelance graphic designer Kara and her husband have just split up, and Kara’s faced with moving back in with her parents. But her beloved Uncle Earl offers her a room in his place, which is also his labor of love: The Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities, and Taxidermy. The Wonder Museum, for short. Kara grew up helping Earl tend to the bizarre exhibits and sell T-shirts to the tourists.  While she doesn’t believe in all Earl’s eccentric theories, she’s got a fondness for the place. He calls her Carrot, very cute. So she moves in, and starts cataloguing all the oddities, and hanging out at the next door coffee shop.

When Uncle Earl has to go for a knee operation,  Kara says she’ll be fine on her own, no problem. But when she discovers someone has knocked a hole in the wall upstairs, she asks Simon the barista to help her fix it. It’s then they discover the hole leads somewhere really, really strange. And Kara, despite warnings from Simon, wants to explore. This is going to be a very bad idea.

Kara and Simon are great characters. I loved them both, even if Kara makes some incredibly dumb decisions.  Simon says a couple times that this is how people in horror movies get killed, but she just sails on, and he follows.  Simon’s eye thing is both creepy and funny, I loved it. Uncle Earl comes alive too and even Kara’s ex, whom we only meet over the phone, is solid. I could easily visualize the eerie willow world and its inhabitants.  And I absolutely loved the finale and what comes about with all the taxidermied critters.

This is a Lovecraftian horror novel, not a slasher kind of thing. Not creepy enough to keep me awake at night, but still plenty of tense moments and icky situations.  Excellent pacing, vivid imagery, and as I mentioned excellent characters.  T. Kingfisher (pen name for Ursula Vernon) is becoming my new favorite author – I’ve yet to read a book of hers I didn’t really like.

Ancient Egyptian Conspiracy Theories: The History of the Most Popular Conspiracy Theories about Egypt in Antiquity

Charles River Editors

Review by JJares

This book is an explanation of the biggest conspiracy theories about ancient Egypt. Some seem possible, while some seem outlandish. However, they are interesting reading. You may enjoy this book if you are unfamiliar with these ancient theories. I found the most interesting one to be about Moses. These stories are —

–  Akhenaten and Moses
– The Curse of the Pharaohs
– The Secret Chambers in the Great Pyramid and Sphinx
– Ancient Astronauts
– The Lost Army of Cambyses
– Cleopatra’s Death

Amenhotep IV (also known as Akhenaten, the heretic king) is thought to be related to Moses. Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus argued that Moses was the leader of Judaism and closely related to Akhenaten, possibly a son or grandson. Manetho, an Egyptian historian, said that Moses was an Egyptian priest who organized the leper’s rebellion against forced labor pushed on them by Amenhotep III and others. The most interesting fact about this section was the evaluation that Judaism was unlike any other religion but very similar to Akhenaten’s.

When the archeologists started opening the Pharaohs’ tombs, people related to the excavations began to die. There has been wild speculation about these deaths. However, someone finally evaluated the 60 workers closest to the openings and found that ten died during the twelve years most closely associated with the excavations.

The next theory is even wilder. Erich Von Daniken said aliens came and taught the Egyptians how to create the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. His theory said that the Egyptians did not have the technology to create them. Edgar Cayce said there was a secret room in the paw of the Sphinx that would explain an advanced civilization that existed a million years ago.

After extraterrestrials in Egypt, some folks believe that long-ago astronauts influenced development on our Earth by landing and assisting humans in creating things (they could not create alone), such as the Moai statues on Easter Island. They also point (on page 59) to airships (similar to our helicopters) in Australian cave paintings of the Wandjina people.

I was unfamiliar with this conspiracy theory regarding the lost army of Cambyses. It happened during a desert storm in 534 BCE. Persian troops specially trained for desert conditions disappeared without a trace while escaping the Egyptians following them. Two Italian archaeologists think they have unearthed the solution. They came across the remains of an army in the desert. Local Bedouins told them that the wind uncovered the bleached bones briefly, and then the wind covered them again with fifteen feet of sand.

Finally, the authors recounted the Ptolemy family history in Egypt. The story ends with the deaths of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Stories are told that Egyptian archaeologists found Antony’s death mask and the tomb of Cleopatra and Antony about 30 miles outside of Alexandria. They say they found 20 coins minted during her reign.

I wasn’t overly convinced of the validity of these theories. There wasn’t enough proof. The stories were engagingly told. I’m sure these rumors help sell travel tickets to the country. Interesting reading.

Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper

Review by Cyndi J. (cyndij)

On the planet Zarathrustra, the Chartered Zarathrustra Company pretty much owns it all.  They exploit the natural resources, develop what they want, and pretty much run the show without much interference from the Colonial Government. Jack Holloway is an eccentric miner, making his living from sunstones, an exotic fossil that glows with the wearer’s body heat.

Coming back from a day’s hard work, Jack surprises a little creature in his house. It’s cute, it squeaks at him, it’s not particularly afraid, and he feeds it a bit of pre-packaged rations which it really, really likes. Jack decides he wants a pet and calls it “Little Fuzzy”. Before you know it, Little Fuzzy has invited the rest of his family to enjoy the comforts of Jack’s home. But after observing them carefully, Jack thinks that these creatures are really intelligent beings, and he calls in a friend with the government to check it out.  We’re given POV from not just the humans but also Little Fuzzy, so we readers already know they’re intelligent, if childlike.

The Chartered Zarathrustra Company gets wind of Jack’s enquiry and alarm bells go off everywhere. Billions of dollars are at stake, because the Company cannot own a planet if there’s intelligent inhabitants. They hatch a scheme to murder the Fuzzies.  Of course this is going to backfire on them, and we get some tense moments of rescue along with an interesting court trial and vindication for the Fuzzies. To my mind, the trial is the highlight of the book. Justice in action, and the rule of law preserved.

The book veers between very one-dimensional villains and the overly adorable Fuzzies, and serious discussions about what intelligence actually is. There’s an evil corporation, with the government and the military stepping in to save the day, which is kind of odd for the 1960s.  The tone is also somewhat juvenile, but the characters smoke and drink constantly, not to mention the murder.  Despite some of the outdated references, I think this still holds up very well. John Scalzi “rebooted” it several years ago with FUZZY NATION, but this holds its own. It’s a fun, fast read with things to think about.

‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas by Andy Carpenter

Review by JJares

I don’t care how many lame jokes and impossible situations defense lawyer Andy Carpenter gets himself into; it is always a fun read. I love being swept along with the reluctant Andy (whining all the way). It is a Christmas party at the Tara Foundation when Pete Stanton calls Andy and tells him to come outside. They want Andy to bring out one of the celebrants, Bobby Klaster. Andy knows him by another name and is confused.
Years ago, Bobby was in a gang that turned to murder. He exited the gang by testifying in the trial and joining the Witness Protection Program. I was stunned to learn that the state WPP is wimpy; they relocate the person within the same state, only giving him a new identity. Federal WPPs are moved to another state with more perks than the state model.
Bobby is accused of murdering a former gang member. Of course, the gun is found in his home, along with blood in his car trunk. When the police discover Bobby’s past, they look no further for a suspect. Crime boss Joseph Russo, Jr. appears, helping Andy and his case. Of course, the plot moves predictably, but I don’t care; I love the crazy dogs, especially the Basset Hound. Marcus Clark is in full swing with his fists while Andy cowers in the background.
This is a long-running series about a reluctant lawyer and his dog foundation. Sit back and enjoy another wild story with Andy and all the usual suspects. The laughs start on the first page and continue till the end.

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

Review by Cyndi J. (cyndij)

Jessamyn Teoh has graduated Harvard, but she’s unemployed, still living with her parents, and a closeted lesbian.  But her dad’s health isn’t good, they’re also broke and have decided to move back to Malayasia. As a dutiful daughter who truly loves her parents, she’s going too, leaving behind her girlfriend.  They move in with her father’s sister, who has a big house and innumerable relatives who are always dropping in, ready to discuss the failings of anyone in the family.

There’s enough stress that when she starts hearing a voice in her head, she dismisses it at first. But it turns out this is not a hallucination – it’s the ghost of her grandmother Ah Ma, and Ah Ma is capable of taking over Jess’s body. Ah Ma has a purpose in mind, which she tells Jess is to save a particular small temple in danger of being torn down for developers.  Ah Ma was a medium for one of the gods – Black Water Sister – in this temple, and the god is angry.  But the temple’s plight is only an excuse.

As it turns out, Jess is not the only one in this family keeping secrets.  Events careen out of control almost immediately, with Jess alternately attempting to kick Ah Ma out of her head and then beseeching her to come back and help Jess out of life-threatening crises.  To make it even worse, Black Water Sister has taken ominous notice of Jess.

The book starts out feeling rather lighthearted, but it gets quite dark before Jess manages to placate the gods and others.  It does get a bit complicated towards the end, what with all the various shifting relationships and gods appearing and disappearing. The Malaysian setting is great, very different and very vivid, and the dialect makes it come alive. I liked the sense of place and I liked how Cho educated the reader about the gods and cultural practices via Jess, who hadn’t lived in Malaysia since she was a toddler.  I also loved how the family drama just gets deeper and deeper.   A good, fast-paced and intense fantasy.

The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson

Review by Cyndi J. (cyndij)

I found this YA/teen fantasy to have a very likable heroine, but it’s definitely in the surreal vein.  Sixteen-year-old Soujourner “Scotch” Smith is a normal Toronto high school girl, she’s got friends, thinks her parents are too restrictive, and is eagerly preparing for a dance contest.  There are troubles too, of course – she is on the outs with her ex-BFF for allegedly poaching her boyfriend; her brother was In jail for drug possession; and she’s got some kind of weird  black, sort of sticky substance growing in patches on her. The doctors don’t know what it is, and nothing gets rid of it.  Oh, and she’s seeing weird little animals floating around too.

When her parents head off for a weekend, leaving Scotch and her brother Rich alone, they head off for an illicit visit to a nightclub.   It’s then that chaos really erupts, literally. A bizarre bubble forms in the nightclub, and her brother disappears into it. A volcano forms in Lake Ontario. People turn into bizarre creatures. A giant house on chicken legs is walking around, and the witch inside is taunting Scotch.  Plus there’s a frightening black thing following her as well.

As Scotch careens through the city, her skin getting progressively worse and worse, trying to find her brother and figure out what’s happening, she’s forced to think about her own identity and accept her flaws.

I found the surreal happenings a bit much, but then, the book is about chaos after all.  I recognized several fantasy elements of course, and Hopkinson adds interesting Caribbean elements. You can’t help but like Scotch. With a white Jamaican father and a black Canadian mother, Scotch’s racial identity isn’t immediately obvious to others although she identifies as Black. I really liked the diversity of her friends, her awareness of racism towards her and her darker-skinned brother, and her horror when she herself expresses bias.  Some of it seemed a bit preachy though. Despite her own predicament, Scotch tries to help others too. As the book progresses I couldn’t really see how Hopkinson was going to get her out of it, but it ends happily enough for Scotch and her family, although not for everyone.

It’s an interesting story with a lot of elements to think about. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who’s never read fantasy before, but if you’re in the mood for something different, give it a try.

The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon

Review by Melissa B. (dragoneyes)

Decoding Gen-Z Slang: Your Guide to Learning, Understanding,
and Speaking the Gen-Z Vernacular by Devon Knott

Review by jjares

As a Baby Boomer, I have difficulty keeping up with the Gen-Zer’s constantly changing language. Since this group played computer games once they emerged from the nursery, many of their words and phrases are steeped in gaming and modern American culture. The author posits that this is all the ‘revenge of the nerds.’ The author explains that his book is a stab at catching the changing lingo at one point in time. However, their lingo is constantly changing.

 

This short book shows the origins of some of the catchphrases and then explains many words that ‘people of a certain age’ don’t know. The next section discusses the ever-evolving world of memes. Many of the memes originate on Reddit. Part of the reason for this is that Reddit has 450 million active monthly users. Look at the subreddits, such as r/dankmemes (dank refers to something cool). (I’m marking the important Gen-Z phrases in dark and bold letters for easy reading.)

 

However, you are reading this to learn the ‘in’ phrases and their meaning. The author recommends going to Reddit and scanning the memes because Gen-Zers use their phrases and by reading them over time, you will become adept at understanding. Lest you think that gaming is a passing fad, by 2025, this industry will rake in $256.97 billion!

 

I’ve chosen some less salacious items in the author’s dictionary. Some of them make me wonder about the future of our culture and morals (but that’s another story and I’ve left those out). Later in this listing, some names have become part of their lexicon (in a derogatory way).

 
 

Basic – anything mainstream. “So who’s her fave singer? Jason Timberlake. Man, that’s basic.”

 
 

Based – true to themselves, they don’t care what is popular. “She’s crazy based. She’s voted for Democrats for years but now wears a MAGA hat.”

 
 

Bop – refers to a good song with a nice beat. “Eminem’s latest album is a bop.”

 
 

Cap – a lie, a blatant one. Often matched with no. “I just played the first round of my new game and no cap; the game is trash.”

 
 

Drip – denotes coolness and a great sense of style. “Her dress was drip. She’s a fashion icon.”

 
 

Karen – someone cranky, entitled, demands to speak to the manager over some small issue. “Did you see how she acted? She’s such a Karen.”

 
 

Chad – pure alpha male. “Did you see him strut into the theatre? He’s such a Chad.”

 
 

Other names are used ironically or in a derogatory manner, including Jan (constant liar), Harold (too old or too stupid to understand some significant point), and Simon (annoying person who does something embarrassing in public). Kyle is another internet archetype. He’s annoying, under-educated, with no future plan.

 
 

Catfishing/Woke Fishing – pretending to be something you’re not online. “Basically, being a hypocrite online to get laid.” Woke Fishing is spouting woke thoughts and beliefs when you don’t.

 
 

Emergency call – going on a risky date? Call one of your friends to call with an emergency so you can escape a terrible date.

 
 

Haunting – after breaking up, one party starts stalking the other’s social media, leaving a trail of likes.

 
 

This is a small sampling of the Gen-Z lexicon from this author. I found the book on Amazon. It is available as a Kindle, Audio, or paperback.

 
 
 

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The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

Review by Melissa B. (dragoneyes)

When you see a book with such a lovely cover written by an author you think highly of, it is hard not to greedily devour it but, instead, slowly savor each word. I had to make sure I paced myself. Even so, it feels like a book that I’ll need to reread in the future. Just a sense that there is so much magic in there that my mind didn’t catch it all.

The story is made up of two POV’s. On one end we have Livira who is from the Dust. When her settlement is attacked she finds herself and other villagers on a long journey. She winds up in a city where she ends up working in the library. Then there is Evar who has always been in the library and knows of nothing but its walls, his four adopted siblings and his caretakers. This is a library where if you are not careful you can get lost. It holds much knowledge but also many secrets. Through the labyrinth of books, you can find time traveling portals, android type assistants, and (my favorite) animal guides. Between their two tales, the story weaves a lovely tapestry that you just want to wrap around yourself.

I really enjoyed Livira’s parts the best. I felt a connection. Especially reading about her always asking questions. I couldn’t ask enough questions when I was younger and still find myself needing to know how everything works. Made me chuckle a couple of times when I read those parts. One thing that I’ve always enjoyed with Lawrence’s books is his characters. He really makes it easy to bond with them. On top of that, he writes a story that you can see vividly and words that flow beautifully. So excited to read the next book in the series.

]]> http://blog.paperbackswap.com/fantasy-review-the-book-that-wouldnt-burn/2023/12/feed/ 0 http://blog.paperbackswap.com/ya-review-a-wizards-guide-to-defensive-baking/2023/12/ http://blog.paperbackswap.com/ya-review-a-wizards-guide-to-defensive-baking/2023/12/#respond Fri, 08 Dec 2023 17:22:13 +0000 http://blog.paperbackswap.com/?p=12580

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Review by Cyndi J. (cyndij)

Here’s a fun middle-grade/YA fantasy. This will be a very quick read for an adult, but it’s got charm and some interesting characters.

Fourteen-year-old Mona only has a little magic, and it only works on dough. So of course she works in her aunt’s bakery. Her breads and rolls are the best, because she can convince the dough to be perfect. She’s got an animated gingerbread man who can sit on her shoulder, and then there’s Bob the slightly scary sourdough starter, who lives in a bucket in the basement.

When Mona finds the dead body of a girl in the bakery, she is shocked and scared of course, but when she’s accused of the murder herself she can’t believe it. Set free by the Duchess, she thinks life will go back to normal. But minor wizards like her are disappearing all over the city, and she’s not going to be immune. Caught up in court politics and the threat of a barbarian invasion, Mona’s going to have to step up her magic or all is lost.

I liked Mona’s naivety and hesitancy to break the rules, it’s a little different from the usual heroine. Most of the other characters are typical – the thief, the aunt, the evil inquisitor. But Bob the sourdough starter is wonderfully funny, and the dead horse witch is awesome. If you’d like some light fantasy, this will fit the bill.

 

 

 

 

]]> http://blog.paperbackswap.com/ya-review-a-wizards-guide-to-defensive-baking/2023/12/feed/ 0 http://blog.paperbackswap.com/author-interview-with-rhoda-orme-johnson-and-book-give-away/2023/11/ http://blog.paperbackswap.com/author-interview-with-rhoda-orme-johnson-and-book-give-away/2023/11/#respond Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:50:14 +0000 http://blog.paperbackswap.com/?p=12573

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you very much for agreeing to this interview, Rhoda Orme-Johnson!

 

Rhoda Orme-Johnson is an author, was a computer programmer for the Apollo Project, a teacher of TM, and a professor among other interesting things.

 

Q: According to the blurb on the back of your book, Anna: An Immigrant Story you are a writer, always a writer€. If you had to describe yourself in one word, would writer be the word?

 

A: “Seeker” is the word. My whole life has been a search for spiritual progress, development of consciousness, and deep knowledge about how mind and body work for optimum growth, hence my interest in the Transcendental Meditation technique. Writing itself is a process of self-discovery, so very much in this life-learning program. Writing comes from the deepest level of consciousness and leads the writer back there to mine one’s deepest feelings and thoughts. It’s also very blissful.

 

Q: You have traveled a great deal. Where in the world do you feel most at home?

 

A: I love traveling the world and enjoying various cultures, cuisines, and beauties, spiritual and material. I felt very at home in India, but with the feeling that my past lives there may not have been very pleasant. Paris is the place where I am most alive, happy, and full of the zest of life!

 

Q: Where did you get the idea to write your grandmother’€™s story? Many immigrants to America would rather put the past before they came to this country behind them. It is good that you wrote of her history so we can know the history of people that struggled to get here.

 

A: I was meditating one day and I felt my grandmother’s presence and felt her desire that I tell her story. That impulse got me started on a big research project to find out what really happened. She and my parents’ generation had all died, but many of my cousins had diaries, letters, memories, and photos that allowed me to reconstruct her life. Some of it was painful, like imagining living under the Russian occupation of Ukraine, where she and my mother and all her brothers were born.

 

Q: Do you share any qualities with your grandmother? It seems she was very determined, along with her husband, to create a better life for her family. Can you share with us an example of her determination?

 

A: My grandfather left Ukraine for America in 1913, just after my mother’s birth, leaving my grandmother with five children to care for. He promised to send for her within the year, but World War I intervened, as did the revolutions in Russia, a cholera epidemic, and much more, while he sold vegetables from a cart, saved money, and bought the family a house to live in when they could finally get out of Ukraine. The Russians took away her second house (and source of income) and left her with her garden, canning, and other methods to feed the family as the years went by. Finally, in 1923 the money and opportunity allowed her to take four of the children first to Kiev, then to Moscow (to get papers and tickets), and on to Latvia to get a ship to America. Reunited with my grandfather, she adapted to a strange country, raised her extended family, and lived through the 20th century in her home, via radio and news, until her death in 1956 (when I was 16 years old). I find that I too, prioritized my family, learned to live by my own wits and work, and fully entered into the life and times in which I found my self. I recreated her life through a memoir, in which she lives her old age, remembers her past, and evaluates her life and times. People tell me it is a good read!

 

Q: You have been a member of PaperBackSwap for 6 years, how did you first learn of the site?

 

A: I don’t remember who first told me about the site, but it has been great fun to wish list the books I would love to read and to share those I have already read with people who want to enjoy them.

 

Q: Do you read for pleasure or to learn?

 

Both. Although I mostly read fiction, I always learn vicariously from the characters and what they go through. I learn about myself, of course, and I must say, I prefer fiction that shows the evolution and growth of its characters, not their misery and downfall, because I believe life has a positive trajectory, not always obvious up close, but evident in the long term.

 

Q: Who is your favorite author?

 

A: Well, of romance writers, Mary Balogh. Of literature greats, I have always loved Willa Cather. Recently I have really enjoyed Ann Patchett’s latest Tom Lake. I read David Copperfield before tackling my book club’s choice of Demon Copperhead, and found I infinitely preferred the former.

 

Q: What was your favorite book growing up?

 

A: As a child, I loved books about horses and dogs and the Dr. Dolittle books, then girls (remember Betsy, Tacy and Tib?). I remember really loving A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Then I moved on to the “great books” shelf in my local library, found Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Flaubert, and off I went. Now, I must say, I prefer books written by women, not by men. Let’s have the inside story! (Although I did love A Gentleman in Moscow.)

 

Q: Who is your hero, living or dead?

 

A: Most recently, Elizabeth Zott in Lessons in Chemistry. What a great read!

 

And now for some fun stuff:

 

Q: Coke or Pepsi?

 

A: Neither. These are poisons. Water is best. I do love good Chinese or Indian tea (Pu-er) to start the day.

 

Q: Cats or Dogs?

 

A: I am a cat person, although I have had and do love dogs, especially if they belong to someone else and I can just enjoy them and then send them home.

 

Q: Breakfast or lunch?

 

A: I could eat breakfast all day long.

 

Q: Winter or summer?

 

A: Both have their joys, but eating out on the porch in the warm weather and strolling down to the beach are best.

 

Q: Do you have another book planned?

 

A: Things run through my head, but I am now 83, and travel has taken precedence, and reading, always reading. I am thinking of revisiting the great women writers of the 19th century: George Eliot, for example.

 

 

Q: Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?

 

I am feeling closer to Mother/Father God these days (New avenues of learning opening up), although organized religion continues to give me the hives; I will have nothing to do with it. No one should have spiritual power over anyone else and take advantage of it.

 

 

 

Rhoda Orme-Johnson has generously offered a copy of her book, Anna. An Immigrant Story, to one of our members who comments here on this PaperBackSwap Blog interview. A winner will be chosen at random.

 

 

 

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