"Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein

Goodreads Synopsis:
Valentine Michael Smith is a human being raised on Mars, newly returned to Earth. Among his people for the first time, he struggles to understand the social mores and prejudices of human nature that are so alien to him, while teaching them his own fundamental beliefs in grokking, watersharing, and love.


My Review:
This book definitely gives you a lot to chew on. Or should I say grok? The main character, Michael, is very endearing for the first half of the book. As he begins to better understand humans and acclimates to their ways, I think he loses some of the innocence that makes him so likable in the beginning. But throughout the book, his curiosity and bafflement of human mores & nature give the reader a fresh and enlightening perspective on how we view things.

Within the character of the Man from Mars, Heinlein, with sharp observation and relevant questions, creates an opportunity for people to truly step back and LOOK at humanity. To ask ourselves WHY do we think this, WHY do we believe that? And the questions are presented through an innocent, almost child-like, man.

As the story progresses, Michael tries to understand our views on sex and religion. Still confused after several years, he creates his own set of beliefs and his own lifestyle that quickly gains loyal followers.

My favorite part of this book? The word GROK. Heinlein does such a thorough job using this word and its variations that it becomes a part of the reader's vocabulary. And it's such a great word. Even after finishing, I still catch myself using it. That will be the biggest thing I take away from this book.

Just a warning: This book was published in the 1960's. There are definite sexist & homophobic remarks. There is one use of the word, "n-gg--," by characters that were painted in an extremely ignorant light. The sexism & homophobia, however, were not painted in an ignorant light. These opinions seemed to be the natural mindset of the author and, I'm sure, of his readers at the time it was written. 

I would urge you to ignore it. Discard it. (I reached a point where I got really frustrated with certain comments. Almost quit reading). It's a shortcoming of the writer and of society during that period. There are many other GREAT things to take away from this book if you can get past these particular issues.

The Author

Author Tidbit: Heinlein served as an officer in the Navy and, later, went on to work in several different occupations such as real estate sales and silver mining.

Favorite Quotes: 

"He was not in a hurry, "hurry" being one human concept he had failed to grok at all. He was sensitively aware of the key importance of correct timing in all acts — but with the Martian approach: correct timing was accomplished by waiting. He had noticed, of course, that his human brothers lacked his own fine discrimination of time and often were forced to wait a little faster than a Martian would — but he did not hold their innocent awkwardness against them; he simply learned to wait faster himself to cover their lack."

"His idea is that whenever you encounter any other grokking thing — he didn't say 'grokking' at this stage — any other living thing, man, woman, or stray cat… you are simply encountering your 'other end'… and the universe is just a little thing we whipped up among us the other night for our entertainment and then agreed to forget the gag."

The Island of the Mighty by Evangeline Walton

Goodreads Synopsis:
Tricked into giving birth to him, the sorceress Arianhod swore that the child should be nameless until she named him...that he should not bear arms until she herself bestowed them...and that he should never love a woman of the human race.

But her brother and lover Gwydion tricked her into bestowing a name, Liew...and Gwydion's wiles brought her to arm him...and then Gwydion called upon his craft to produce a woman who was supremely lovely and ardent in her passion for Liew..yet not human. (less)


My Review:
If you are a fan of mythology in general then read this book. If you are a fan of, more specifically, English and Welsh mythology/literature then you definitely need to read this. Evangeline Walton takes from the Welsh cycle of legends, called the Mabinogion, and creates an amazingly vivid narrative. And for the super nerd, she sprinkles footnotes and various references throughout the book that refer to these ancient stories.  You can definitely get a sense of Walton's love and knowledge of the legends. She uses all of it to bring each character to life with language that is flowery but intelligent. I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading the rest in the series.

If you'd like to read more about the Mabinogion: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/mab/index.htm

The Author

Author Tidbit: Walton said of her knack for writing fantasy: “My own method has always been to try to put flesh and blood on the bones of the original myth; I almost never contradict sources, I only add and interpret.”

Native American Testimony by Peter Nabokov

Goodreads Synopsis:
In a series of powerful and moving documents, anthropologist Peter Nabokov presents a history of Native American and white relations as seen through Indian eyes and told through Indian voices: a record spanning more than five hundred years of interchange between the two peoples. Drawing from a wide range of sources - traditional narratives, Indian autobiographies, government transcripts, firsthand interviews, and more - Nabokov has assembled a remarkably rich and vivid collection, representing nothing less than an alternative history of North America. Beginning with the Indian's first encounters with the earliest explorers, traders, missionaries, settlers, and soldiers and continuing to the present, Native American Testimony presents an authentic, challenging picture of an important, tragic, and frequently misunderstood aspect of American history.


My Review:
This book took awhile for me to finish. And not because it wasn't interesting or relevant, but because the material was heartbreaking. The book is broken up into short 2-3 page accounts. In these accounts you get a very personal glimpse into the life of members from different tribes. Spanning from 1492 to 1992, this book delivers scope. This is not a history book written from a Eurocentric mindset where the telling of events become skewed through the eyes of the victor. This is straight from the underdog's mouth and it's powerful. I wish this were required reading in high schools because young Americans would benefit from native perspectives. I'm so glad I bought this book. Definitely something worth reading again in five years.

The editor, Peter Nabokov, sets up each chapter with a brief overview of what was going on during that particular time period. Then each chapter is broken down into 5 or 6 personal accounts from Native Americans. And he doesn't focus on just one tribe. You really get a feel for what people were going through across the country.

There is, however, some controversy over one of his more recent publications, "The Origin Myth of Acoma Pueblo." Nabokov promised to consult with the Acoma Tribal Council before publishing the book as it discusses sensitive cultural and religious information, but he failed to do so. You can read more about this here: Acoma Pueblo vs. Peter Nabokov

The Editor

About the Editor: Peter Nabokov is an anthropologist, writer, and professor at UCLA.

Favorite Quote:

"The old people came literally to love the soil," wrote the Sioux author Luther Standing Bear. "They sat on the ground with the feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with their bare feet on the sacred earth. The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing."

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The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

Goodreads Synopsis:
She is the girl with the dragon tattoo—a genius hacker and uncompromising misfit. He is a crusading journalist whose championing of the truth often brings him to the brink of prosecution.

Late one night, Blomkvist receives a phone call from a source claiming to have information vital to the United States. The source has been in contact with a young female superhacker—a hacker resembling someone Blomkvist knows all too well. The implications are staggering. Blomkvist, in desperate need of a scoop for Millennium, turns to Salander for help. She, as usual, has her own agenda. The secret they are both chasing is at the center of a tangled web of spies, cybercriminals, and governments around the world, and someone is prepared to kill to protect it . . . 


My Review:
I was worried I wasn't going to like this since it wasn't Stieg Larsson putting his final touches on it, but I really enjoyed book #4 in the Lisbeth Salander series. It's a bit slow in the beginning, but give it time. I think David Lagercrantz did a pretty good job reflecting Larsson's style and the Salander/Blomkvist bond that I absolutely love was expressed perfectly. 

There's also quite a bit of plot and drama going on in this one & that's just speaking of Lisbeth's storyline. It definitely delves deeper into her childhood and keeps you wanting to find out more. This does have some sensitive subject matter and references to abuse/rape, but I don't think it's to the same extent as the first book. If you enjoyed the first three books in this series but were hesitant to keep reading after Larsson's death then definitely give #4 a try. It looks like a fifth book came out last year, "The Girl who Takes an Eye for an Eye."

The Author

Author Tidbit: David Lagercrantz is a Swedish journalist.

Favorite Quote: "The doctor said that what matters is not that we believe in God. God is not small-minded. What matters is for us to understand that life is serious and rich. We should appreciate it and also try to make the world a better place. Whoever finds a balance between the two is close to God."

The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

Goodreads Synopsis:
One late spring evening in 1912, in the kitchens at Sterne, preparations begin for an elegant supper party in honor of Emerald Torrington's twentieth birthday. But only a few miles away, a dreadful accident propels a crowd of mysterious and not altogether savory survivors to seek shelter at the ramshackle manor—and the household is thrown into confusion and mischief.

Evening turns to stormy night, and a most unpleasant parlor game threatens to blow respectability to smithereens: Smudge Torrington, the wayward youngest daughter of the house, decides that this is the perfect moment for her Great Undertaking.

The Uninvited Guests is the bewitching new novel from the critically acclaimed Sadie Jones. The prizewinning author triumphs in this frightening yet delicious drama of dark surprises—where social codes are uprooted and desire daringly trumps propriety—and all is alight with Edwardian wit and opulence.



My Review:
I looooooooved this book. This entire novel spans one evening of merriment and madness that is almost dream-like. The characters enter the story already well-developed, the dynamics of each relationship understood and entertaining. The problem these characters face seems simple at first. But there is a dark twist towards the end that throws everything into new light.

My absolute favorite character is the youngest daughter, nicknamed Smudge. Her Great Undertaking is a hilarious balance for what the rest of the characters are going through in their grown-up dinner party. The author creates a wonderful romantic tension between the younger characters as they see each other with new eyes, but the underlying menace of their mystery guest creates a darkness that stretches for the novel's duration. 

Another added treat is the author's use of language and imagery. When describing the dinner scene, she actually makes ox tongue sound sexy. Her style made me think of Elizabeth Cunningham's "The Wild Mother." Both have that delicious combination of English propriety set against the Wild Primitive. Sadie Jones can write a story.

The Author

Author Tidbit: Sadie Jones's first novel, "The Outcast," was adapted for television by the BBC.

Angel of Darkness by Charles de Lint

Goodreads Synopsis:
In the early 1990s, Charles de Lint wrote and published three dark fantasies under the name "Samuel M. Key." Now, beginning with Angel of Darkness, Orb presents them for the first time under de Lint's own name.

When ex-cop Jack Keller finds the mutilated body of a runaway girl in the ashes of a bizarre house fire, he opens the door to a nightmare. For a sadistic experiment in terror has unleashed a dark avenging angel forged from the agonies of countless dying victims....


My Review:
Get ready to see a different side of Charles de Lint when you read this book. Just a warning, this book is graphic and has disturbing subject matter (sexual and violent). There is also explicit language. If that doesn't bother you then I recommend reading it. De Lint is known for using the power of music in many of his stories. It serves as a fountain of magic that can either help or hinder his characters. He employs the same theme in this book, but it plays a much much darker note. 

In Angel of Darkness, the line of real/unreal and victim/criminal is blurred. De Lint's characters are never quite on steady ground and this feeling of uncertainty definitely transfers to the reader. His sense of setting, as always, is outstanding. After reading this book, my respect for him as a writer has doubled. He creates several characters that are ROTTEN. Awful, despicable, rotten. And de Lint's ability to get completely inside the head of someone like that then jump back to a "normal" character's point-of-view is pretty amazing. He nails everything, from the psychology of that character, their motivations and the thoughts running through their head. I wouldn't be surprised if he needed a long shower and a smudging after writing these particular sections.

More than anything, this book gives a voice to victims. It opens your eyes to the things they have to endure and how difficult it can be for some of these people to break away from that victimhood, no matter how hard they try. This, ultimately, gives the book a feeling of sadness. Read this book with the intention of opening your eyes to a side of this world that we usually prefer to ignore. 

The Author

Favorite Quote: (from the Introduction) "Mostly, the darker sections of my novels arrive from the human psyche, with the magical elements playing against the shadow. But the Otherworld contains as much darkness as it does ambiguity and light, and to ignore it entirely strikes me as only telling half the story, hence the books I wrote under the pen name Samuel M. Key.  Angel of Darkness originally had a working title of The Killing Time, and it wasn't a book I enjoyed writing- its shadows held on too long after the day's work at the keyboard was done- but I felt compelled to write it all the same. There's no other reason to write a book, as far as I'm concerned."

Bite the Biscuit by Linda O. Johnston

Synopsis from Goodreads: 
Carrie Kennersly, a veterinary technician, has become known for offering healthy and popular dog treats at the clinic where she works. When the local bakery's owner moves away, Carrie jumps at the chance to convert it into the Barkery, a shop to make and sell her canine delights.

But Myra Ethman, co-owner of another pet product store, hates the new competition. At the Barkery's opening party, she badmouths Carrie's homemade dog biscuits, insisting she'll find a way to shut the place down. So when Myra is found dead with a Barkery biscuit beside her, Carrie must prove she didn't do it before she's collared for murder.

My Review:
If you're looking for a light cozy mystery then this book should meet your needs. The bakery environment gives it a cozy touch, but I would have been happy with more baking scenes. (In the author's bio she does mention that she doesn't cook very much and this shows in her novel.) Laura Childs is a mystery author who does a really good job making you salivate while reading. I wonder if she is a foodie? 

The main character was average. I didn't love her and I didn't hate her. I liked the pet element, but again, it could have been a bit more. Maybe give the main character two dogs instead of one and describe the interaction between the two animals. Pets can create a lot of humor that way. 

The writing style was very descriptive. Sometimes to the point of walking you through the entire day which wasn't always necessary. I've caught myself doing this while writing. After seeing it as a reader, I'll have to try to avoid that! As far as the mystery goes, the author does a pretty good job throwing suspicion around. This is a good read when you have stressful stuff going on. It doesn't require a ton of brain power and it's not emotional. Just a fun mystery.

Author Tidbit: Linda O. Johnston also volunteers at Pet Orphans of Southern California.