Book Review: Great Historical Coincidences by Pere Romanillos
“Serendipity” is the good fortune that comes when you discover something useful or intereBook Review: Great Historical Coincidences by Pere Romanillos
“Serendipity” is the good fortune that comes when you discover something useful or interesting while you were looking for something else. Knowing how to grasp the opportunity offered by serendipity is one of those skills that every scientist and artist should have at their disposal. This book, originally published as ¡Menuda chiripa! Las serendipias más famosas covers many instances of serendipity, mostly in the area of science.
After a lengthy introduction on the subject of serendipity and fortunate coincidences, there are 49 essays on individual discoveries divided by scientific field. We begin with physics and Archimedes’ Principle (and the origin of “Eureka!”) and end with archaeology and the terracotta soldiers of Qin. Many of the stories were familiar to me, such as the melting chocolate bar that revealed the existence of microwaves; while others were new to me, such as the origin of the Pap smear.
This book is heavily illustrated and the translation by Janet Foster uses language that should make this book suitable for bright junior high students on up. (Some parents may find discussion of the biology of sex unsuitable for their kids.) There’s some clumsy phrasing from time to time. There’s no index or citations, but there is a bibliography to search for more information–much of it in Spanish.
This is one of those books primarily meant as a present; the treatment of each discovery is short and only covers highlights and often context is missing. Consider it for a budding scientist or history buff, perhaps as a pair with the same author’s Great Historical Blunders....more
Tony was little when his parents died and left him in the care of his grandmother Nola. She tried the best she could to raise him in the tiny communitTony was little when his parents died and left him in the care of his grandmother Nola. She tried the best she could to raise him in the tiny community of Farmingdale, Iowa, but it’s 1952 now and he’s a grown man. Tony’s made some bad life choices which are about to come back and bite him, as he’s accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend. As if that wasn’t stressful enough, it turns out his mother isn’t dead after all, and she and the carnival she manages just appeared in town.
The Mida, as it happens, is no ordinary carnival. For one thing, it’s a “Sunday school”, which means no rigged games or other cheats. More relevantly to the plot of this story, the carnival is mystic in nature, traveling through time and place to where it needs to be. A number of the carnies have special abilities ranging from eidetic memory to being “a Wiccan goddess” granted by their employment. Mesa, the manager, knows that the Mida has arrived in 1952 Iowa for Tony, but is reluctant to face the son she abandoned all those years ago. Especially as the carnival is being stalked by the dark spirit Jiibay, who has finally caught up to them.
This is the first of three (so far) fantasy books about the Mida. Ojibwa lore is woven into the narrative, but is not the main thing going on. For most of the book, the non-supernatural murders are the focus plotline. It’s not much of a mystery for the reader as the story has multiple viewpoint characters, including the murderer.
Good stuff: a fairly diverse cast, not all of whom are the stereotypes they first appear to be from one viewpoint. A fairly sensible and intelligent sheriff, who gets to be useful even though this is a fantasy book.
Not so good: Little to nothing is done with the time travel aspect of the plot. Most of the carnies probably wouldn’t take advantage of future knowledge for profit because of their personal morality or lack of solid opportunities, but there’s no mention by anyone of changes in technology or customs. Conveniently, Mesa has aged enough in her travels so that no one doubts she’s the right age to be Tony’s mother. Other than some mention of contemporary baseball players, there’s almost nothing that makes the setting feel like the early 1950s as opposed to any post World War Two but pre-21st Century rural town.
There are eight main carnies who form a “circle” although this is apparently the first most of them have known that; all get at least a little development. But then there are thirteen Gatekeepers who also work at the carnival and that the Eight aren’t supposed to know about as they are the guardians of the Eight. Most of them don’t even get named, let alone individual attention. And presumably there are even more carnies that aren’t in either of those groups. With all these people and the townsfolk, the book is jam-packed and some characters just get lost in the shuffle.
There’s some brief transphobia, but oddly enough no anti-Native American prejudice is ever brought up. Abuse is in some characters’ backstory, and some of the carnies have been criminals in the past.
This is very obviously a first novel and self-published (a few spellchecker typos); later books in the series may show improvement.
Recommended to people who like weird carnival-set stories....more
Once, Mars was a place of mystery. Humans looked at it from the blue Earth with feeble telescopes, and imagined what life, if any, might inhabit that Once, Mars was a place of mystery. Humans looked at it from the blue Earth with feeble telescopes, and imagined what life, if any, might inhabit that red dot in the sky. Were there canals filled with water? Bloodsucking tripod operators? Beings that had never fallen from grace with God? Ray Bradbury looked, and imagined stories of Martians and Earthlings, and the doom of both.
Several of the stories in this volume were written in the latter half of the 1940s, and then connected with interstitial material in 1950 to make a chronological narrative. The book opens with “Rocket Summer”, when a January 1999 Ohio winter is interrupted with heat from exhaust tests on the launchpad. It ends with “The Million-Year Picnic” as refugees from war-torn Earth arrive on Mars in October 2026, and see the new Martians. In between is the coming and going of the human presence on Mars.
The first three expeditions to Mars all die; perhaps if the U.S. government hadn’t outlawed science fiction and fantasy (but apparently not religious texts) in the 1970s, they would have been better prepared. But they get posthumous revenge; in a nod to H.G. Wells, by the time the Fourth Expedition arrives, the majority of Martians have been killed off by a common Earth disease.
Wave after wave of Earthlings arrive, most of them from the United States, as it monopolizes the construction of interplanetary rockets. In the story “Way in the Middle of the Air”, the entire black population of the Southern U.S. decamps to Mars. (in this bleak future, race relations did not advance beyond the early 1950s; poll taxes have only recently been abolished as of 2003. and the Klan is still very active.) One particularly virulent racist panics when he realizes he will soon not have African-American people to oppress! There’s use of the N-word and other racist language, so this story is sometimes left out of school editions of the book. Because of the stitched-together nature of the collection, this large population of emigrants is never mentioned again, and their fate is finally revealed in a completely different short story collection.
Eventually, once the early settlers have made the place relatively safe, the moral guardians who eradicated speculative fiction on their homeworld arrive to make Mars just as joyless. “Usher II” has a multimillionaire who is still hopping mad about their destruction of his library take revenge in inventive ways mostly inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Mr. Bradbury was tangentially involved with the comic book industry, which was undergoing the attacks (“think of the children!”) which would lead to the Comics Code. He would return to the theme of book burning in Fahrenheit 451. As a kid I could easily imagine boring grownups banning all the good stuff.
Eventually, atomic war breaks out on Earth, and most of the population of Mars returns to that planet in a probably vain attempt to help out their relatives or home nation. “The Silent Towns” concerns one of the very few people left, a miner who’d been up in the hills without communication for a few weeks when everyone else took the rockets home. He’s initially thrilled when he learns there’s a young woman also still on Mars, but isn’t pleased when he actually meets her.
Some of Bradbury’s stories from this time period showed a nasty streak of misogyny, and this is one of them. Genevieve stayed on Mars because she’d been constantly bullied about her weight, but rather than treat her sympathetically, the narrative flow treats her as a gross monstrosity for daring to be fat, and indulging herself in ways roughly equivalent to those Walter had done earlier in the story. Walter escaping and hiding from her for the next twenty years is treated as a happy ending.
“There Will Come Soft Rains” is also included in this collection, one of the most perfect short stories ever written. After the atomic war on Earth, we look at the last day of a “smart house” that hasn’t quite figured out that all the humans in its city are dead.
One of the interesting things about the stories is that in the early ones, while the Martians are still flourishing, we see their petty sides and moral failings; but after they have mostly died off, those fall by the wayside and their great accomplishments and gentleness are emphasized.
Ray Bradbury really does have a gift for poetic turns of phrase, and his nostalgia for Midwestern small towns shines through. Sometimes the poetry can get in the way of comprehensibility, or become self-indulgent, dragging on for a paragraph or two too long. And of course, he made no attempt to be scientifically accurate even to what was known about Mars back in the day–he readily admitted that the stories were really fantasy.
Several of the stories were adapted for EC Comics, and there have been some television show versions as well.
The book is certainly well worth reading at least once, even if it will not be to everyone’s taste....more
Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was requested or received.
BrothDisclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was requested or received.
Brothers Sam and Derek, and Sam’s friend Caitlin, are enjoying a day at Maymont, a historic estate in Richmond, Virginia. A man Sam and Caitlin meets seems very interested in the estate’s bald eagles. That same man later is seen running away from the estate, chased by two dangerous-looking fellows. He drops his cellphone in his flight, and before it goes dead, it gives the children a cryptic clue.
Now the kids must unravel a threat to the eagles, and also to themselves. Their parents wouldn’t approve of putting themselves in danger…but surely convincing Caitlin’s father to take them hiking wouldn’t hurt.
This is the fifth book in The Virginia Mysteries series of children’s mysteries. It provides some perilous thrills for young readers (aimed at about fifth-graders like Sam & Caitlin; Derek’s a touch older) while teaching them a little bit about Virginia history and landmarks.
There isn’t a whole lot of actual mystery here–book-smart Caitlin figures out pretty much exactly what’s going on, and only their worries about not being taken seriously prevent the kids from simply telling a responsible adult who would end the book’s plot about halfway through. Derek’s physical bravery gets them in trouble about as often as it gets them out; Sam is more cautious, but rises to the occasion when the crunch comes.
The crooks behave rather stupidly to give the children a chance at cracking the case; masterminds these are not.
There’s a bit of talk about endangered species, and a passing reference to race-based classism. A Confederate-themed biker gang appears as good guys; parents may want to discuss with young readers why that might come off as uncomfortable to some people.
Derek teases Sam frequently about various things, including his friendship with Caitlin. Sam and Caitlin themselves are just good friends so far as this book goes.
This book is self-published, but well put together. It’s double-spaced for reading ease, I didn’t spot any typos, and the cover is appropriate for the story–more symbolic than it might first appear, but that is definitely the Maymont Mansion.
Recommended primarily for kids living in the Virginia area, or who have relatives living there, but it should suit any fifth-grade mystery lover....more
The Caine Prize is awarded to a short story written by an African author (which primarily means one born in Africa–all the authors in this volume are The Caine Prize is awarded to a short story written by an African author (which primarily means one born in Africa–all the authors in this volume are from Sub-Saharan Africa), published in English in the last five years and submitted for consideration. This volume contains the five stories that were shortlisted for the prize in 2013, plus twelve more written at a workshop sponsored by the Caine Prize.
The collection leads off with the 2013 winner, “Miracle” by Tope Folarin. A group of Nigerian immigrants attend a tent revival in Texas. A great faith healer is scheduled to appear, but will there be a miracle tonight, and what form will it take? I found this to be rather a blah story, but I am not one of the judges for the contest and don’t know what criteria they based the decision on. Nigerians dominate this volume, with four of the five shortlisted stories and several of the workshop ones as well.
Three of the five shortlisted stories have a heavy Africa-America connection, to the point that Chinelo Okparanta’s story is actually titled “America.” A schoolteacher who wishes to join her lover there uses the Gulf oil spill as a wedge to try to convince the immigration people to give her a green card. There’s an interesting ending in which the protagonist remembers hearing a folktale similar to ‘Jack the Giant-Killer” except that it stops short of the “ever after” with no explanation of what happens past a certain point.
The title story, “A Memory This Size” by Elnathan John concerns a man mourning for his brother, who died years ago, and yet he cannot let go.
There are common themes in these stories, most of which are “slice of life” tales: government corruption, marital infidelity and environmental destruction.
There are a couple of stories that move into the “magical realism” camp (that is, fantasy, but not called that so critics can treat it as actual literature.) The better one is “Howl” by Rotimi Babatunde, about a dog named Jack who may or may not have the extraordinary powers the villagers think, but is certainly not a normal dog. “Clapping Hands for a Smiling Crocodile” by Stanley Onjezani Kenani, however, has the best title in this volume. That story is about a fishing village threatened by oil developers, and the sacrifice one man makes to save their way of life.
I also enjoyed “Stuck” by Davina Kawuma, told in a series of emails by a young woman who is tempted to have an affair. One final email changes everything.
My least favorite story was “Foreign Aid” by Pede Hollist. This tale of a man who returns to Sierra Leone after many years in America, thinking he will be a big man thanks to his money, was too predictable and made me cringe rather than care.
That said, I am glad I took the chance to read this book and learn what some African writers are doing. There are thirteen volumes of Caine Prize stories published; check your inter-library loan system for any one of them.
I should also mention that there is some disturbing subject matter, and would best suited for college age and up....more
Akira Tsubaki is a normal 17-year-old high school student. New student Mikoto Urabe appears to be anything but normal. Her bangs cover her eyes, she sAkira Tsubaki is a normal 17-year-old high school student. New student Mikoto Urabe appears to be anything but normal. Her bangs cover her eyes, she sleeps during lunch and class breaks, bursts out laughing in the middle of class for no apparent reason and carries scissors in her panties. All very odd and mysterious. One day, Tsubaki wakes Urabe up after school is over, and notices that she’s left a puddle of drool on her desk. Impulsively, he tastes it.
That night, Tsubaki has a dream set in a bizarre cityscape, and he and Urabe dance together. A couple of days later, Tsubaki falls ill for a week. Urabe hears people talking about it and puts together what’s happened. She visits Tsubaki’s home, lying to Tsubaki’s older sister about why she’s there, and lets Tsubaki taste some of her drool off her finger. He feels better, and she explains that he’s now addicted to her spit. Why? “That’s just the way I am.”
Over time, Urabe lets Tsubaki taste her drool on a daily basis, and sometimes she tastes his. Eventually, they become a couple, though Tsubaki is still baffled by his mysterious girlfriend.
This seinen (young men’s) manga ran in the monthly Afternoon magazine, and this edition contains the first two Japanese volumes. The author mentions in his notes that the lead characters are seventeen so that there is a question as to whether sex will happen. (A couple of years younger, they definitely wouldn’t in this kind of story, a couple of years older, and they definitely would.) That doesn’t happen in this volume, though there is male-oriented fanservice and one outright nudity scene. Mr. Ueshiba has gone on record that he thinks too many young people rush straight to sex when they’re in love, and he wanted to show a couple enjoying other ways of connecting (some quite kinky) that don’t involve putting Tab A into Slot B.
Tsubaki, as the “normal” boy, is kind of bland. He has normal sexual urges and a pleasant way about him. He does quickly learn to let Urabe take the lead in how fast she wants to take the relationship and what they will be doing. He also figures out quickly ways of reassuring her about his faithfulness while still having other female friends.
Urabe is fiercely protective of her secrets. Where did she get her saliva-based psychic powers? How did she learn her ability to cut through anything with safety scissors? Why is she so sensitive about being touched without her permission? What does she do outside school when she’s not with Tsubaki? All deflected with “that’s just the way I am” or ignored. She’s also not one to ask unsolicited questions, so only slowly learns about Tsubaki’s background.
We do learn that swapping spit only has unusual effects with people Urabe has a connection of some kind with. She also turns out to be very normal in some ways, liking cute kittens and being shy about wearing a bikini. Her bedroom also looks normal, but her family is not home at the time so we don’t get any information on them.
There’s another couple that appears frequently, Tsubaki’s friend Ueno and his tiny sweetheart Oka (who becomes Urabe’s first female friend.) They have a more “normal” relationship and Oka helps Urabe open up a bit to social interaction and eating lunch.
As mentioned, there’s a fair amount of kinkiness and it’s very male-oriented–I think it will appeal most to senior high male readers and up who like romance with a bit of mysteriousness attached....more
The quiet village of Tarrytown, New York (not far from Sleepy Hollow) is rocked by scandal when Bert and Adele Denore cut their honeymoon in Cuba shorThe quiet village of Tarrytown, New York (not far from Sleepy Hollow) is rocked by scandal when Bert and Adele Denore cut their honeymoon in Cuba short. It seems someone sent poison pen letters to the hotels and casinos they had planned to visit, alleging unspeakable things about Mrs. Denore’s background. (And you know it’s unspeakable when a Cuban casino feels obliged to ban you to protect its reputation!)
Due to the unusual stationery the anonymous letters were written on, suspicion falls on Marjorie Ellsworth, a minister’s daughter that Bert had unsuccessfully wooed some time before. More evidence piles up, and postal inspector Fraser thinks he’s made his case. But Marjorie’s fiance Frank Dean is sure she’s innocent, and engages the famous detective Nick Carter. Nick soon convinces himself that Marjorie indeed is not the author of the poison pen letters..but there’s not enough evidence to convince a jury of that–and seemingly no motive for anyone to frame her!
As mentioned in my previous Nick Carter pulp reviews, he also had a stunning career as a dime novel character, with over 1000 volumes of his adventures printed. This one, originally published in 1914 a brought out in a “paperbound” edition in 1919, is one of them. My copy is barely holding together, with the covers and some of the spine missing, but all the story pages are there, so I thought I’d better read it now before it disintegrates.
The story is…of its time. Nick is easily able to discern good people from bad by their facial features (he’s a trained expert at this) and plays fast and loose with the laws of evidence. (Some dodgy legality at a court hearing is handwaved by the judge declaring it “informal.”) Marjorie is a “damsel in distress” who is pure and innocent as well as beautiful, and seems to have no skill set beyond being of good character. Adele, being French, is a conniving woman of dubious character, but a much more dynamic person with considerable spine.
There’s a small amount of violence, surprisingly none of it by the hands of the hot-tempered Frank, but this is decidedly not a murder case and the villains have no wish to make it so. There’s an unfortunate cameo by a black bellboy who speaks in heavy dialect.
Nick could probably have solved the case much faster if he hadn’t stuck to some cultural assumptions, but evidence would still have been hard to find.
Overall, this book is a disposable, quick and enjoyable read for fans of light detective fiction. It’s mostly valuable as a curiosity, but people who love old books should keep an eye out for other Nick Carter volumes....more
Much has changed by the last years of the 21st Century. The rot started to set in with the Abandonment Policy (euphemized as “DiveIt’s a Marsco world.
Much has changed by the last years of the 21st Century. The rot started to set in with the Abandonment Policy (euphemized as “Divestiture”) where countries with prosperous sections and not-so-prosperous bits split off the not-prosperous sectors as “another country now, not our responsibility” and shoved any citizens they didn’t want to keep for whatever reason into the new Unincorporated Zones. (It’s implied that even the United States did this on an unofficial basis.) The new rich countries became the Continental Powers, while the castoffs became PRIMS.
Meanwhile, an IT startup ambitiously named “Marsco” grew into a cross between Microsoft, the Union and Pacific, and United Fruit Company. Yes, it did eventually get to Mars, and its innovative finger disc cybernetic implants became the new status symbol. As part of its philanthropic aims, it became the primary benefactor of PRIMS, providing food rations, some medical care, etc.
A Luddite movement also grew, primarily among the PRIMS who found themselves shut out of the modern world, starving and ridden with cure-resistant diseases. It also found favor among some in the CP, and even associates of Marsco itself.
Eventually, the Continental Powers decided that Marsco was too powerful, and tried to nationalize it. This was a huge mistake as the megacorporation had designed all their computers, had its own armed forces and the advantage of operating from space. They even got PRIM armies on their side. If that wasn’t enough, the more violent strains of the Luddites took advantage of the chaos to destroy or infect any high technology they could reach.
Now, Marsco rules what’s left of Earth’s population, just as a temporary measure until the locals can get back on their feet. Except that it’s been a generation, and Marsco control doesn’t seem to be going away, and the Unincorporated Areas aren’t getting any better. Certain people are beginning to realize that Marsco isn’t the solution anymore, it’s the problem….
This book is the first in a series planned for four volumes, the “Marsco Saga.” It’s serious about the “saga” part; months or years often pass between segments of the story and I suspect by the end we’ll be reading about the grandchildren of the current characters. It’s been a while since I’ve read a science fiction book that fits more into the “future history” subgenre than action.
The dissident of the title is Dr. Walter Miller, formerly one of Marsco’s most brilliant engineers, but now on an extended sabbatical on his independent farm/research facility in what used to be the Sacramento Valley. The first few chapters concern a visit to him by his daughter, Professor Tessa Miller, who teaches at a Marsco academy. Her journey across Sac City to his grange has some interesting world-building, but then there’s no sign of a plot for a while.
Abruptly, we switch to a shuttle in the asteroid belt, and an entirely different set of characters for several chapters. Not all of the crew or passengers manage to survive the sudden emergence of plot.
And then, it’s months later in a different part of the asteroid belt, and an Independent colony views the arrival of a mysterious Marsco deep-space craft with justifiable suspicion. This part introduces another of our protagonists, Lieutenant Anthony “Zot” Grizzoti is one of the crew of the Gagarin, and Tessa’s ex. He’s a specialist in hibernation technology, and knows things he can’t reveal.
Some time later, we’re in the SoAm Continental Zone, as Father Stephen Cavanaugh goes to the camp of the Nexus, the most violent of the Luddite factions, in order to retrieve two boys they’d lured away from his school for PRIMS. A former student of his, Pete Rivers, is one of the Marsco Security personnel that escorts the priest to the area, but from there Cavanaugh must proceed on his own. This is the tensest part of the book and could stand on its own as a novella.
With most of the characters now introduced, the story moves forward.
The best part of the book is the world-building. Mr. Zarzana has done a lot of research, and worked out the details of the Marsco world. The book comes with a glossary (there are some mild spoilers in this section) due to all the specialized terminology and future slang. While some of the steps to reach this setting are dubious, it all hangs together well enough once it’s there.
However, a lot of the information is delivered in professorial lectures (Dr. Zarzana himself is a professor of English), which can get tedious. A little fun is had with the delivery by having a precocious child do some of the lectures to show off to adults. But too often, it comes across as “As you know, Bob….”
Many of the more interesting characters are in the book too little and some of them won’t be returning later. I found the Tessa/Zot romance bits tepid and was irritated every time it came up.
The primary active villain, Colonel Hawkins, is planning to avenge the Continental Powers’ defeat and is working with others who want to change the balance of power, and haven’t realized just how obsessed he is.
Marsco has a lot of classism (Marsco associates on top, Sids (people who trade with Marsco) in the middle, and PRIMS on the bottom and treated as barely human), but little racism–one of the associates suddenly breaking out racist slurs shocks his colleagues and is taken as an indicator of his actual age. Casual racism is more common among the Earth-bound.
There’s a lot of talk about rape, (including a possibly fake story about mind control rape) and a couple of attempted rapes onscreen . Prostitution is rife in the non-Marsco areas. There’s bursts of violence, some of it dire.
This book is self-published, and the latter half starts having spellchecker typos (“site” for “sight” several times) which suggests that with books this size, the proofreader should take the job in smaller chunks.
Overall…it’s a decent beginning, but not really satisfying on its own. A lot will depend on the next part expanding on the themes and subplots satisfactorily. Consider this if you like detailed world-building.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was involved or requested....more
Takeo Goda is a man’s man, for all that he’s only in his first year of high school. He’s tall, rugged, good at sports, and has a gentle heart which maTakeo Goda is a man’s man, for all that he’s only in his first year of high school. He’s tall, rugged, good at sports, and has a gentle heart which makes him a good friend. His male friends all think he’s awesome. Sadly, Takeo has had no luck with girls. Every young lady he’s been attracted to has instead been more interested in Takeo’s handsome best friend Sunakawa. Not that it’s done the girls any good as Sunakawa has rejected them all.
One day, Takeo helps out a girl named Yamato on the train. When she keeps coming around afterwards to spend time with Takeo and Sunakawa, and sharing goodies she’s baked, Takeo falls for Yamato. But having learned from experience, he assumes she’s interested in hooking up with Sunakawa…and this is the first girl Sunakawa actually seems to like. Takeo will help his friend land the girl!
Except that no, Yamato is in fact interested in Takeo, and Sunakawa finally has to trick her into saying that out loud in front of Takeo so that the real love story can begin.
This shoujo (girls’) romance manga goes against the usual formula a bit by centering the story on the male character (the Japanese title specifically uses very masculine language) and having him be not the usual pretty boy. Takeo’s face has, erm, character, and him being taller than most grown men at sixteen, is pretty intimidating-looking. Rinko Yamato, thankfully, happens to like big guys, and is attracted by Takeo’s gentle manner and strong sense of justice.
Both Rinko and Takeo are rather naive and a bit shy around the opposite sex, so they take their relationship slowly and some difficulties arise because they don’t always communicate what they want. It’s a good thing Sunakawa is there as a wingman. He’s the sort of attractive but aloof fellow who would be the love interest in many shoujo manga; but in this case he appears to be somewhere around asexual or aromantic. (Takeo thinks this is odd, but tries not to be too pushy about it.)
Towards the end of the first volume, Sunakawa’s older sister is introduced. She’s a college girl who’s surprised that Takeo’s got himself a girlfriend now–she thought she was the only one who had spotted the big fellow’s true worth. (Because she’s several years older, she had never spoken of her crush, hoping to wait until he was mature enough that the age gap would not be a horrifying issue.)
The art is nice, and the facial expressions are good, but backgrounds are sparse, so there are moments when it feels like the characters are floating in a void.
This is a sweet story, and has proved just as enjoyable by boys as girls. Recommended for romance fans....more
It is late December, 1941. The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor, and America is now at war with the Axis powers. The United States’ alliance with GIt is late December, 1941. The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor, and America is now at war with the Axis powers. The United States’ alliance with Great Britain is now an active one, and to cement that alliance, Prime Minister Winston Churchill has crossed the ocean to confer with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Accompanying Mr. Churchill is secret agent Maggie Hope, posing as a humble typist. When Eleanor Roosevelt expresses worry about one of her employees who hasn’t shown up for work, Maggie volunteers to go with her to check on Blanche Balfour’s health. As it happens, that young woman’s health is impaired by the fact that she’s dead, an apparent suicide. There appears to have been a suicide note implicating Mrs. Roosevelt, but the note itself is missing. Maggie smells foul play.
This is the fifth Maggie Hope mystery novel; I have not read the previous ones. This volume is not much of a mystery from the reader’s point of view; we are privy to scenes Maggie is not, so it is really more of a thriller. Also mixed into the plot are the upcoming execution of a young black man (whose trial stinks on ice) and the British intelligence service trying to find out about Germany’s rocket program.
Ms. MacNeal has done extensive research, and cites her sources in a “Historical Notes” section at the end. This results in a lot of name-dropping and factoids scattered throughout the book. I did spot one anachronistic reference; World War Two buffs will know it when they see it.
One of the themes of the book is that leaders are human; they have good qualities, but can also have unpleasant sides, wrong opinions, and do less than good things in pursuit of what they consider more important goals. Both Maggie and her current lover, benched RAF pilot John, must make difficult decisions about their priorities and what will be the best course of action to win the war.
Thankfully, there’s at least one actual villain in the book to provide some moral clarity–they’re a bad person in every important way, and we can cheer Maggie on as she opposes them. There’s also some Hope family drama back in England, presumably to set up the next volume in the series.
Maggie Hope herself is (as so often in historical mysteries) a woman way ahead of her time in attitudes and behavior. It’s sufficiently supported by her special circumstances.
There’s period racism and to a lesser extent sexism and homophobia, as well as that apparent suicide.
Recommended for fans of historical mysteries and spy thrillers....more
Lord Meren wanted two things from his trip home to his estate at Baht. First, to enjoy some rest and relaxation with his children, far from the politiLord Meren wanted two things from his trip home to his estate at Baht. First, to enjoy some rest and relaxation with his children, far from the politics and dangers of the court. And also to complete a secret task for his friend and master, Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Unfortunately, Meren’s sister Idut has decided that his visit is the perfect opportunity to hold a feast of rejoicing, inviting all of their relatives…most of whom Meren hates or vice versa.
One of these is Anhai, the beautiful but poison-tongued wife of Meren’s cousin Sennefer. Her marriage with the notorious womanizer is on the rocks, and several other people have good reasons to hate her. Still, it’s a bit of a shock when she vanishes from the feast, and found dead in the granary, oddly positioned. Lord Meren may be the Eyes of Pharaoh, and authorized to take steps to investigate, but his extended family has little respect for him, and his mission may be imperiled.
This is the third Lord Meren historical mystery set during the reign of King Tut, and I do not believe I have read the earlier ones. The author is an anthropologist, and cites some of the research she’s done. She does admit that she’s fudged some of the names for easier reader comprehension.
The characters are distinctive, and mostly unlikable, from drunkard little brother Ra, to the self-righteous Uncle Hepu. At least one of the mysteries involved can be solved early by the reader who pays attention–others require more clues.
In addition to the usual murder, there is also talk of suicide, and some period-appropriate sexism
The paperback edition includes the first few pages of the next book in the series, Eater of Souls, which seems to indicate there’s an Ammit-themed vigilante on the loose.
This is a perfectly decent murder mystery, and I recommend it to those with an interest in Ancient Egypt....more
Izuku Midoriya’s dream is to become a superhero, like his idol All Might. The problem with that idea is that Midoriya belongs to the minority of peoplIzuku Midoriya’s dream is to become a superhero, like his idol All Might. The problem with that idea is that Midoriya belongs to the minority of people on his world who were born without a Quirk, a superpower of some kind. His former friend Katsuki Bakugo, who has a powerful Quirk and is naturally gifted, rubs this in at every opportunity, calling Midoriya “Deku” (no good qualities.) Midoriya has been training hard, but even when he meets his idol, he’s told that there’s no way he can become a superhero if he doesn’t have any powers.
But then Midoriya proves he has the heart of a hero, attempting to rescue Bakugo from a powerful villain despite not having a chance of doing so. All Might reveals that there is a way Midoriya can earn a Quirk, and go to U.A. High, the magnet school for aspiring superheroes. Izuku Midoriya can turn around the “Deku” nickname, and make it mean “never gives up.”
This shounen manga homage to American superhero comics was something of a sleeper hit; Mr. Horikoshi’s previous two efforts had a lukewarm reception, and the immediately preceding series, Barrage, tanked. So the online edition of Shonen Jump didn’t even bother running a preview when it debuted. But this time Horikoshi is firing on all cylinders.
The setting is an alternate Earth where superpowers began appearing about five generations ago–it’s not clear if it’s the present day with huge changes, or a future where fashion and technology stagnated. Eighty percent of the population was born with some sort of power, called Quirks. Most Quirks are pretty minor (has tail, can attract small objects to hand from a foot away) but others are very impressive (Bakugo can create firey explosions from his sweat, Mount Woman can become a giant.) There are many criminals who use their Quirks for evil, so there are professional superheroes who stop them.
There’s a lot to like about this series. Deku (as everyone winds up calling him) is not the idiot hero so common in shounen, but a thinker who wins battles and solves problems with observation and planning. Even when he earns the powerful Quirk “One For All” the power is difficult to use, so his brain is his greatest weapon. And yet he still possesses the compassion and courage of a true hero.
There’s also a good supporting cast. Bakugo makes a strong contrast as the kid who has had all the advantages handed to him by birth, and takes it as his rightful due. His arrogance and sense of entitlement make him an ass, and he doesn’t lose much of that even after learning that no one at U.A. is going to put up with his crap. He does, however, quit with the bullying after events in Volume Two.
Other classmates include nice (but dangerous) girl Ochako and the overly serious Iida, who get the most focus in this volume. Unlike other school-based series, where we only follow the hero and a handful of his friends, every classmate is a distinctive person and many will get spotlights in future volumes. There’s also an assortment of teachers with varying personalities.
The tone is closest to Bronze Age DC Comics; some bad things happen, but the general tone is optimistic, never overdosing on grimdark or angst.
As mentioned, there’s some bullying in the early chapters, and superheroic violence. There’s also fanservice in the form of female superheroes wearing skin-tight costumes (but not every female character chooses to do so.) Nothing a junior high or up reader can’t handle.
Highly recommended to fans of teen superheroes and those who like their comics light-hearted....more
Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
Marsha Hansen is a concert vocalist and inspirational sDisclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
Marsha Hansen is a concert vocalist and inspirational speaker who sings and teaches about African-American sacred music. This book is an extension of that, writing about spirituals and their messages.
Because of slavery, those kidnapped and sold from Africa and their descendants had a very different experience of Christianity than their purchasers and enslavers. They identified strongly with Job and the Israelite slaves in Egypt. (Indeed, some white people who preached to slaves deliberately skipped the Exodus story, or changed the ending to have the Israelites voluntarily going back into slavery.)
Since literacy among slaves was discouraged (and in some states illegal), music was one of the few ways they could express their religion, and the songs sung at camp meetings became the spirituals we know of today.
The book comes with a CD of Ms. Hansen, her friends and family performing many of the songs discussed. Several were recorded at family gatherings, with the rest being done in a more formal studio setting. Some of the home recordings are a bit rougher than is to my taste, with the drum drowning out bits of the lyrics. Those of you who prefer an “authentic” sound may like those tracks better.
The writing is stirring, explaining the significance and emotional resonance of each song. I found it moving. This book would be best appreciated, I think, by those with a fondness for spirituals, but anyone with an interest in Christian music will probably enjoy it. There’s also a discussion of slavery in the Bible and how verses were taken to justify cruel oppression. We now interpret those passages differently, and so our understanding grows.
Simon Templar, the Saint, was created by Leslie Charteris in the late 1920s and went on to become a major franchise. Mr. Templar (not his birth name) Simon Templar, the Saint, was created by Leslie Charteris in the late 1920s and went on to become a major franchise. Mr. Templar (not his birth name) was a roguish young man with a murky past, and a fondness for sticking it to wealthy criminals he considered “ungodly.” He and his associates used confidence tricks, disguise and good old fisticuffs to deliver a form of justice, stealing from the crooked rich to give to the poor–minus a percentage to keep them in the style to which they were accustomed.
“The Man Who was Clever” is the earliest Simon Templar story by internal chronology; there had been others published first, but Mr. Charteris was dissatisfied with them. Although he already has the nickname of “the Saint” and his band of friends, this is the first time he publicly operates under the Saint brand, complete with his calling card stick figure.
It begins with Simon witnessing an act of brutality by a gang of small-time extortionists. But rather than jump in immediately, he investigates the gang and learns the full extent of their organization, then begins a campaign to bring not just them, but their backers as well, down. As part of this, the Saint locates the one member of the gang who’s redeemable, a basically decent fellow who has racked up gambling debt, and recruits him as a double agent.
Simon Templar is a cool customer, looking innocent (but sexy) and calm, even in the worst circumstances. He’s also a cunning planner, with only a stroke of bad timing causing any difficulty with the gambit he has in play. He’s also a good fighter, able to take down five hoodlums alone with little difficulty. (And a swordcane.)
This being written in the time period it was, Mr. Templar smokes and drinks, but is down on the harder drugs. (The villain of the piece considered himself no worse than a bartender in this regard.) There’s a bit of the xenophobia common to pulp stories of the period, with the main criminal being a foreigner who has changed his name to sound more English, and his insidious contact in Greece. The main female character, the double agent’s sweetheart, is a damsel in distress type, while Simon’s love interest Pat barely appears before being bundled off to avoid being distressed. (In other Saint stories, Pat is much more useful.)
Charming though Simon Templar is, I think he’d be hard to put up with for long in real life, with his bad poetry, annoying nicknames and endearments, and general smugness behind an innocent looking face.
The advertising calls this a “graphic novel”, but it’s really more of a heavily illustrated novella with all the original words. The illustrations are quite nice (more comic book than pulp magazine style art) but like the pulps of yore, the pictures are often nowhere near the part of the story they’re illustrating.
This is a short read (81 pages even with copious illustrations.) It’s best suited for people who are already fans of Simon Templar or other pulp characters–new readers will want to perhaps check out Enter the Saint or any of the other Simon Templar books (make sure it’s one of the ones actually by Leslie Charteris) from the library to see if they like the character before making the plunge.
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