Samantha MacLeod Stops By: An Author Interview

Hello dear readers!

Welcome to my 'Super Special Samantha MacLeod Issue'. Where I, your humble blog host, will interview author Samantha MacLeod on her book The Wolf's Lover!

So lets get right into it, shall we?

Jass: Thanks so much for joining me on my wee blog Samantha! I'm super excited to talk to you about your book, The Wolf's Lover. First of all, are you a pantser or  a planner? Or little bit of both?

Samantha: I’m a total pantser! I never know what’s going to happen in my book until it’s over. Sometimes this is really fun and exciting. Sometimes it’s terrifying!

Jass: I totally agree! I'm a pantser and I'm always both a little nervous and a little revved up at the same time. I wish I were a little more of a plotter sometimes, but I think I'm addicted to the pantser rush at this point! So I have to say, I'm a huge fan of urban fantasy, and am thrilled you happen to be writing it: Your book is a romance urban fantasy, what drew you to this genre?

Samantha: I’ve always been a huge fan of the fantasy genre in all its many incantations, from Tolkien to magic realism. And, to be honest, I have a really hard time writing a “normal” story with no fantastical elements. Even if I’m trying to tackle a difficult theme, like grief or depression or overcoming your past, I’m always thinking, “Yes… but what if I add a dragon?”

Jass: That is an excellent 'But what if'! I think many things could be improved with a dragon or two! Besides what is "normal" anyways right? I'm so glad you like to add a little fantasy (and dragons) into your work, because I love reading it! Speaking of your work...Lets get to the details, what is your book, and what can readers expect from it?

Samantha: My book, The Wolf’s Lover, is an urban fantasy set in Yellowstone. It’s about wildlife biologist Karen McDonald and what happens when the wolf she tranquilizes turns into a man. Along the way, there are lots of forays into Norse mythology, a bit of the end of the world, and (of course) a dragon.

Oh, and it’s free until 2/15! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jass: Everyone got that right? It's free until the end of the week! I repeat FREE until the end of the week! Dear readers please take advantage of this! I'm definitely intrigued by your combining of norse mythology into your story- That pantheon gets into all sorts of strange to play with! So, with so much to draw from, and tons of possible elements to mix, what was your process in writing this book?

Samantha: I’m usually working on several projects at once. When one project gets overwhelming, I tend to start something new to keep from going nuts. I began The Wolf’s Lover when I was finishing my first novel, The Trickster’s Lover.

Then we moved from Buffalo, New York to Maine. My writing took a backseat to a bunch of real life concerns, and I almost didn’t finish this particular book. If it weren’t for my husband telling me it really was a solid story, I don’t think I ever would have pushed it out into the world.

Jass: Oh wow! Well I'm so glad you got that encouragement, because now it is in the world for others to enjoy! It can be hard balancing life and writing as it is, I can't imagine a big move on top of that! I'm glad you were able to overcome that challenge, was that the most challenging aspect? or were there other things? 

Samantha: For this particular book, the very end was a total mystery up until the day I wrote it. That really terrified me. The hardest part about being a pantser, for me at least, is that sometimes you’re not sure if you can actually pull this one off.

The end of the book did eventually come together. You’d think that might keep me from panicking about writing the next book, but so far, that hasn’t been my experience!

Jass: I have that same fear when I'm writing my plays: Will this finish? Will this make sense? Is this actually a story people care about? The self-doubt is real! But lets forget about the struggles, what brought you the most joy from writing this book? Were there any favourite moments you'd like readers to watch out for? Or favourite characters you enjoyed writing?

Samantha: Oh, there are so many things I loved about writing this book!

I lived in Bozeman, Montana for seven years, and it was just delightful to pull on my experiences to capture that part of the world. Yellowstone National Park is one my my favorite characters in The Wolf’s Lover. I also loved being able to write a book about a successful, independent, female scientist.

And I stole Karen’s graduate students, Zeke and Colin, straight from real life. They were two of my best friends when I lived in Bozeman. I probably owe them both an apology!

Jass: That's amazing! I'm so glad you were able to put things you love and experienced into the book. I know as a reader, I enjoy something more when I can tell the writer was fully into what they were doing. It's like their pleasure, of writing, goes straight into the reader via the book. I suspect it probably has something to do with, when you love something, you want to work on it and put in that detail and connection...or I'm just talking out of nowhere! I have a tendency to blather on! Well Samantha, we've talked about struggles, and successes, so lets talk about surprises! What was the biggest surprise when writing this book? 

Samantha: One of my favorite characters in the book ended up being Karen’s ex-husband, Barry f’ing Richardson. He starts off as such a caricature but, when Karen is desperate, Barry is there to help.

It was important to me to give as realistic a portrayal of divorce as I possibly could. When you have a serious relationship with a person, I think your connection to them remains, even if the relationship ends. Ideally, that means you’d still band together to stop the end of the world, even if you didn’t make a great team as husband and wife. (See? I add fantasy to everything. I can’t stop myself!)

Jass: I love that! I can already tell from how you surprised yourself, and what you wanted to convey, that Barry is a developed character, not just an 'ex' cliche. Which is wonderful, because I personally get tired of the "bitchy ex-wife" or "douchey ex-husband" trope. Some people split amicably because they still like each other, but don't fit together in a certain type of relationship, and neither is the "bad" person.  I also love that the stakes are as high as saving the world. I mean if something is going to make you put your differences aside, I hope this is it! Also, what a sell to read this book! Who doesn't want to read about the fate of the world and how it (hopefully) survives? But because we don't want to give away spoilers (get the book!), lets switch gears to what happened post writing: What was it like publishing your book? Challenges? Successes? Etc.

Samantha: This book came out a year ago, February of 2018. It was my second independently published novel, and readers really liked it. Tina Williams of A Reader’s Review Blog named it one of her top books of 2018, which is such an honor. To celebrate the first anniversary of its publication, I thought I’d offer The Wolf’s Lover for free for a week.

Jass: What a lovely thing to do! Congratulations on the anniversary of your book, and I hope it continues to be successful. I can tell you put a lot of heart into it, and plus it has a dragon! Thank you again for talking about your novel with me! Before we say adieu, do you have any advice for people who want to write in this genre, or in general?

Samantha: Some of the best writing advice I’ve ever read comes from Stephen King, and I’d say it’s doubly true in the romance and fantasy fields. Don’t be ashamed of what you write. I spent thirteen years not writing anything because I was ashamed that none of my ideas were serious or literary. I’m much happier now that I’ve given myself permission to write books with gods and dragons.

And you know what? People like to read books with gods and dragons. :)

Jass: Yes they do! Or at least I do, and in case you haven't heard...Jass Reads Books! One more time, thank you so much Samantha MacLeod for agreeing to this interview. I super appreciate it, and I believe my readers do to! Please dear readers get her book (and it's companion The Trickster's Lover). The book has everything: Fantasy, gods, dragons, shifters, and science! All things great!

Find Samantha's book at:

Amazon US Canada UK
And to learn more about Samantha and her books visit here.

For more interviews, check out my post with the wonderful Jessica Jarman and Bronwyn Green here!

A Puzzling Novel

Welcome back dear readers! I can't believe it's February already! Can you believe how January flew? Neither can I, because January was two fast weeks, and then two incredibly slow weeks. It's like the buzz of New Year's lasts for a bit, and them BAM! Mid-January hits, and you've already broken your resolutions (but hopefully not, you can do it!), it's way colder than December, and everything goes back to normal...but it's too normal after so much cultural excitement. Even if you don't celebrate, it's everywhere (Woo commercialism!) so it's hard to escape the energy. Then along comes February with it's short month, and here we are!

So long resolutions, it's been fun.

If you remember last blog post, I didn't know what I was going to be reading for this post beforehand. This left me searching for a book, so I decided to choose a category that the books on my pile don't fit into. I figured since I didn't know what to tackle, I might as well check something off that I would have to search for later anyways! Dear Readers, I present to you your first twofer category! The book I read crossed off not one, but TWO! challenges!!! Since there doesn't seem to be any rules about doubling up, I'm allowing myself this: Show some love for a book revolving around a puzzle or game, AND a book featuring an amateur detective.

And what novel fits into these two challenges you may be asking? Well let me tell you! It was A Clue for the Puzzle Lady by Parnell Hall!

So I'm going to be super honest, I liked the book enough, but there's a reason it took some time to get this post out there...and it's that every time I put the book down, it took me some time to pick it up again. Don't get me wrong, it reads fast: It's got quick pacing, short chapters, and there is some action in each little bit. I just didn't feel that burning desire to finish it asap. That being said, I think I would probably watch the crap out of it, if it was a Sunday afternoon TV show.

The novel stars two women: Cora Felton, and her niece Sherry Carter. Cora is a little old lady with an alcohol problem that loves mysteries. She is known as the puzzle lady, as she has a crossword puzzle that is printed in various newspapers across the (American) nation. The catch though, is she is terrible at crossword puzzles and it's actually her niece who creates them. Why? Because of marketability. Sherry is young (I got the impression she's early 20s) and wasn't taken seriously when she tried to sell her crosswords, but Cora is photogenic and appears a kindly old woman. I guess it's not hard to believe she would sit at home pouring over puzzles. Funnily enough, she is the one who is regularly out late at the bar. I liked this aspect of the novel as it subtly demonstrated glass ceilings people face. Sherry is perceived as "can't be smart because she's an attractive young woman", so she doesn't get any jobs. However, her same work is instantly picked up locally, and then nationally, when it is branded differently from a different source.

You tell them Tina!

Sherry and Cora have recently moved into a new, small, town from New York, so Sherry could escape her abusive ex-husband. I was worried when this part came up in the book, but it was handled decently. Sherry suffers genuine PTSD throughout the novel, while struggling to be "rational and logical" about her feelings. She is terrified of her ex discovering where she moved to, and this actually plays a large role in the novel. Not that she has this anxiety, that's just accepted, but rather why the murder needs to be solved without placing attention on her aunt, and by extension her. It creates an obstacle, without diminishing the character as just a one note "battered woman", like many crime procedurals do.

Wait, did I say solve and murder? I sure did, because this novel is a murder mystery! The reason Cora is brought in, is to help solve it with her crossword expertise. The cops find a clue in the victim's pocket, and it looks like the description of a crossword clue. They realize they have the "Puzzle Lady" living amongst them, so why not use her expertise. Cora dismisses the clue as nothing, partly because she believes it's nothing and partly because she hates crosswords! She is excited to solve a murder though, as she loves mysteries. So she gets herself involved, and  does figure it all out (Spoilers!).

I am shocked!

What do I want to talk about with this book? The obsession with women's murders. There is some sick perversion with dwelling over the death of (young) women. Particularly if they are attractive, and mostly when they are also "white". This struck out in this book, because yes, the two victims are pretty women, and also because me reading this coincided with Netflix's "Ted Bundy" documentary release. Which seriously, f@#$ Ted Bundy. There are some great articles on how there is this flocking to stories about brutalized victims (like this one here). The sicker, the more coverage. This book is aware of this as one character actually remarks, "If it was a rape it would have been different, but a runaway who got hit on the head..." This is in response to the first murder victim, after being identified, has people lose interest in her story because she was an outsider who was only bludgeoned to death! This is not sensational enough to tell stories! How sick is that?

Me reading too much truth

I mean seriously, lets think about this: A murder in a small town where nothing happens, becomes less interesting in a few days because it wasn't sexual and more sadistic in nature. I'm just going to leave this post with the question "Why?"

Join me next blog post for a special edition: I will be interviewing an author about their new book!
Until next time!

This is a very beautiful cover but I forget what I read! JK...you'll get the joke if you keep reading!

Hello Dear Readers!
I am so excited you are all here! Can you believe it's already January 21st? Another week, and another post! I'm feeling really good about this month: 3 posts in 3 weeks! This is a new record and high for me. I think the key difference, besides motivation levels, this time around, is having a giant stack of "to-reads" already. I just pick one that matches a challenge, and BOOM! Success! Which is particularly incredible for me, because I am not a multi-tasker. I give too much attention to the thing I'm working on, and pretty much blank out everything else. This is really a two-birds in one stone thing for me, even though it's not technically multitasking...because I can't do that! It drives my sister crazy! If I'm reading an article and she wants to talk to me? I hear nothing of what she just said, except maybe a handful of words. Anyways...that's enough about me! We are here for books, not my inability to function in life!

This week I'm reading a book that is on the Surrey Teen Reads list. Surrey, for those readers not from around my parts, (I see you, and I love you!) is a city in British Columbia, considered a part of the
"(Vancouver) Lower Mainland". It is also the city (district) where I teach. Surrey Teen Reads is a literacy program put on by the district's librarians to not only encourage reading, but showcase diversity and issues that affect contemporary society.
In their own words:

The Surrey Teens Read program offers Surrey secondary students exposure to a suite of ten to fifteen exceptional contemporary titles, selected by secondary educators.  Every reasonable effort is made to select titles which appeal to a wide range of readers; which explore ethnic, cultural and other perspectives respectfully and inclusively; and which provide thoughtful and engaging content, reflecting young adult interests. (Surrey Teens Read)

Image Information Here

It's a great program, and there is a lot of consideration done by a volunteer community of teacher-librarians on what gets selected. They often read about 80-100 books and pare it down to 10-15 on some strict criteria. I am going through this year's list, because I want to be able to encourage students to read the books. I also want to be able to engage with those students who already have read a few. It is therefore lucky for me, that today's book comes off this list and fulfills: a book with a plant in the title or on the cover. 

Dear readers, I present to you: The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron.

So what was the first thing I thought of when I read this book? To be honest? The Hunger Games. There were so many similarities that I was annoyed with the introduction, where we meet our protagonist, Nadia the Dyer's Daughter, hiding because she has broken the rules and may be caught.
How did she break the rules? She went over the wall that surrounds her town, to explore and gather food for her family. You know, the way Katniss sneaks out to hunt for food for her family!
What happens next for Nadia? She thinks she might be caught because a braid becomes loose, and ends up in plain view of the town's council member she's hiding from. Fancy braid-based hairstyle? Where have I heard that from?

Wait, what am I reading again?

Okay, I know braids are a popular and common hairstyle for many people. I know Lady Mockingjay was not the first one to wear them. However, sometimes a genre series becomes so popular, it unwittingly creates tropes for later authors, on a subliminal level, to draw from. I don't think Cameron realized the similarity in hair to Katniss Everdeen. I think she genuinely thought my tough female rebel character will need something practical, something strong, something that says, "I'm not like the others"... I know elaborate braids! And that's the key difference between two characters with braids for hair, and one character playing homage. Katniss didn't just have an elaborate braid, it was a part of her, as a symbol. The hair was defining. When Cameron made the choice to make Nadia's braids (semi) defining, rather than just a hairstyle, she set herself up for comparison.

But we are not done there...
Katniss had a mom who due to trauma, was an ineffectual caretaker for her and her sister, forcing Katniss to step in.
Nadia has a mom, due to some trauma we do not know yet, is also an ineffectual, and suicidal (ooh twist!) caretaker for her and her sisters.
One of Nadia's sister's, is younger, sassy, and incredibly sweet. She's the only person Nadia lets touch her, and can make her laugh. Otherwise Nadia is silent and keeps to herself. She also has an anger problem.

There is a teasing, attractive, boy named Gray. This is far too close to Gale for my liking.
Remember how Katniss remembers Peeta from a moment they had as children? Well Nadia has her own moment with Gray, which in an interesting twist he doesn't remember. (We're going to get to that soon, but I really had to get the HG comparisons off my chest) However even the twist is parallel to Katniss and Peeta, because Katniss assumes Peeta has forgotten.

Now, friends, you might think this book is one big remake under a different cover, but it is not! My annoyance quickly faded away as I delved more into the book and its world. It is just unfortunate that the beginning starts off too similar for my liking.

The world: Nadia lives in a world without technology, last names, and escape. Canaan is a town enclosed by a large wall, where every twelve years everyone forgets everything they know. No one knows why this "forgetting" happens, but it has been recorded in the "first book". Also included is the direction to write everything you do in a day in a journal, kept with you at all times. This is a person's book: Their memories, career, family, basically identity. This is what helps you relearn everything after a forgetting. Nadia has a book, but it's not hers. Her former father stole her proper one and gave her a new one. She's not supposed to know this, but Nadia can remember.

This book has a really good premise. What do you do when everyone forgets everything, but you don't? Nadia is silent because she is haunted by what she saw the days before the forgetting. Where everyone knows they are getting a fresh start, so why not do terrible things? No one will know or remember. This is one of the big plusses of the books. As you read on, character traits are explained implicitly and explicitly. You understand why they are the way they are. This is big for me, because I often feel like a lot of dystopic YA books have decided that they must have unlikeable (although this part may be unintentional) "tough" characters, with attitudes... but often there's no reason why they would behave like this. This is the whole reason I couldn't get through The Divergent series. There was no real reason for the that series' protagonist to be as she was, making me bored with her, and confused with why I should care. Not in this book! You get it. This extends to the antagonist (who I will not give away), you know why they are seemingly cold, uncaring, and devoid of empathy/compassion. I want to go into the parts that make the antagonist well written, but it will give too much away. If you want to hear my thoughts on it, because you've already read the book, or don't mind spoilers, leave a comment and I will get back to you!

This book also has incredible suspense building. There were lazzis (To borrow from Commedia dell'arte, because I'm a theatre person) that had my heart start to pulse loudly. I could feel it in my stomach, and then boom. Cameron is incredibly good at ending a chapter. She knows exactly where to leave a reader after her build-up to end the arc, but make you want to read more. This is a HUGE SKILL!

ALSO! Omgsh folks! Omgsh! Words matter, and this book KNOWS THAT! There is literally a section where Nadia figures something out by analyzing text. She realizes based on the pronouns used, that the person who created the first book, must also be a person that remembers. And I'm all sitting their like:

You analyze those words and make those inferences!

Now, if you can't tell, I did enjoy this book. It started off slow for me, but definitely picked up as I continued. That being said, it does suffer a little from YA-itis. There is a classic "You Don't Know You're Beautiful" moment... because what strong, smart, young lady protagonist can exist without also being the most beautiful?

There is a scene where Nadia's younger sister, Genivee, basically says their older sister is jealous of Nadia because Lilia  (her older sister) may be pretty, but people stop to stare at Nadia. This was a total...

There it is.

I mean in the larger context, it's given as one of the reason's her older sister hates her, but that makes it worse. Your sister hates you in part because you're more attractive than her? The main reason is Lilia doesn't think Nadia is their sister. She doesn't look like the rest of the family, and Lilia doesn't remember waking up with her in the room with everyone else after the forgetting. It's good tension, because it's heartbreaking and strengthens Nadia's resolve to find a way to make everyone remember. Lilia's arc is actually really impressive as one of the side plots. I was happy with how it resolves, if not for how it starts (a theme with this book for me).

On top of stopping people in the streets, Nadia is also pale as pale can be! I hate this definition of "I can't be pretty because I'm too white" representation, because we as readers already know...yeah that's part of your delicate, moon-glowing, beauty. So it reinforces whiteness as most desirable. For a person of colour such as myself? It rings the colonialism and colourism bell like there's a stampede of cows, who were just told where hamburgers come from.

Luckily, this book subverts the YA love triangle to semi make up for this. There is a third boy Eshan, who we think is in love with Nadia, but she never reciprocates. So it's one-sided! Not a triangle! Except it is! You see, she misread his intentions...he's in love with Gray! What!!!! A nice switch up.

There is a big reveal in this book that I don't want to give away, so I'm going to end this post by saying: Read the book! It's very good. It's interesting, and the characters I first thought unlikable, grew on me quickly. The things I thought would make me dislike the book, were flipped in interesting ways soon after. It's got a sequel, and I will definitely be reading it, although, full disclosure: Our two main characters were not the ones I found the most interesting, but maybe like the rest of this book, they'll grow on me more with time!

Join me next time dear readers for...I have no idea yet! It's a mystery! Stay tuned! And as always, thanks for reading. <3

Sandman Slim-Chance of me picking up the next one

Hello wonderful readers-look at my optimism in pluralizing reader! Let it engulf you in joy, and pick you up, if you are feeling down.
You will need this positivity, so wrap yourself in it like a blanket now...because I am going to tear this book a part with my rage. I was so unhappy with this book early into it, that most of this post will be about how everything tacked on to infuriate me. That's right dear readers, you're getting the first ever RAGE READ!

Today's instalment of Jass Reads Books brings the challenge of  A book with a Two-Word Title!
I chose this challenge to cross off, because I had just borrowed a book from the library with a two-word title! I was also excited to read it because it was an Urban Fantasy book, said to be quite good. I am a big fan of urban fantasy, due to the genre combining a lot of stuff I find entertaining to read about: Mystery, crime, magic, the supernatural. Urban fantasy is fantasy set in an urban city/landscape, which also appeals to me, because I'm a city person and I think the updated setting has a different sort of immersion. I'm actually writing my own Urban Fantasy, it's a WIP that has been a WIP for some time now...although that is not the point! I'm over emphasizing how much I'm into this genre because... I HATED THE BOOK I READ! I was so over it, so fast, you would think it was a trend from the early 2000s.

Find your own terrible 2000 trend, I'm not putting myself through that!

So what was this book? Ugh, I don't even want to write it, lest it give the thing even a smidge of attention/marketing...but alas I have to: I present Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey.

I really wanted to like it. I really did. It opens with our protagonist James "Jimmy" Stark popping out of a cemetery in a "Germs" T-shirt. As a huge fan of the Germs, and Darby Crash's near-legendary charisma, I was pretty happy to see where we were headed with this story.

Ugh.

Okay, I could explain what this is about in a succinct summary, but instead I'm going to explain why it sucks with it's sexism instead.

This book is the mother of all "Women in Refrigerators" without even being a comic book! 
What do I mean by this? Well dear readers, this is the part of the blog where I go out on a tangent to explain my ramblings: "Women in Refrigerators" or WiR, is a trope that was coined by comic book writer Gail Simone to refer to the overwhelming amount of female characters who were killed, maimed, or de-powered to move the MALE protagonist's story arc along. Their suffering and anguish are just a tool for the male protagonist's inciting incident or deepened resolve, and to add salt to the wound, they are often barely described or rounded out because they didn't matter as characters to the writers from the start. They weren't characters, they were 'sad events' for the main guy to have experienced. The name is a reference to a scene in Green Lantern, where Kyle Rayner goes home to find his girlfriend killed and in his fridge. Gross right?

So now I'm a little into this book, I'm starting to like it and WHAM! It hits me with a WiR so hard, I think a kidney burst. Not mine, just a kidney, somewhere, belonging to something. Maybe it was a kidney bean! Or maybe my misery helped out someone else's and it was a kidney stone that no longer exists...because it burst into nothing. I'm getting to sucked into this...lets get back on track.
Stark, as he goes by, but since this is written after Game of Thrones premiered (because lets face it, the books didn't have the same place in pop-culture until HBO came around) I just roll my eyes. Remember, I am heavily heated at this book within a couple of chapters, so F@#$ this Stark. Anyways, Stark, has escaped hell, where he has been for eleven years! He was tricked and betrayed by his friends, a circle of other magician youngsters, and sent down to the pit at nineteen years old, alive. He is not a trapped soul, he is a trapped, living, person. He escaped hell after eleven years to get revenge. This is essentially what the back cover said in its synopsis. It's good right: Betrayal, torment, suffering, the revenge is super justified. But Stark isn't back because of his imprisonment...oh no. He's back because Alice, the love of his life, has been killed. SHE'S BEEN KILLED! HE F$@$#@$ BACK BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN KILLED! This is the most NEEDLESS DEATH I HAVE EVER READ AS MOTIVATION!!!! I get enraged just thinking about it all over again! There is already a strong reason to want to escape hell and want revenge...it's the whole being set up and trapped in hell part! See what I mean about the mother of all WiR's now? This poor character, who we only meet in flashbacks, doesn't even exist when the book starts! She was stuffed in the fridge, off screen, before we even had a book! And why? I'm seriously asking, why? Again, there are tons of reasons for Stark to come back to earth and want to kill those who sent him to hell.  After this realization, everything was downhill.

I don't want to waste my time on this book. 

In no particular order:
Every female character is described by looks and f@#$ability. Stark is still a nineteen year old in his head, so every young, skinny, thing mentioned, he imagines sleeping with. That's it. 

One such girl is the 'green-haired pixie' cashier at a dougnut place. Who... gives her novel the SECOND WIR BY GETTING SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES AND DYING BY THE SECONDARY VILLAINS, TO PROVE A POINT TO STARK, WHO IS AN UNLIKEABLE PIECE OF S@#$ ! Also dear readers, notice she has no name. This is a place he goes a few times, most cashiers have name tags, so I'm going to assume she does to, but he doesn't notice it. No it's more important to wonder if the mandatory alien antennae she has to wear, stay on when she has sex with her boyfriend. 

The only woman he doesn't like? A female angel with tons of authority and power, who is described 'looking in drag'. If this was a better book, written by a better person, with better words...I would give the benefit of the doubt to suggest this is meant to show that angels find being human foreign and strange. That they dress in human drag, to play a part. But this book is not a better book, with a better writer, so F@#$ this book and this writer.  

And also I love doughnuts! So how dare this book taint what is a wonderful thing. It is beyond reproachable! 

Next thing, unnecessary ableism. R-Word thrown out hear and there. I know it has to do with character's immaturity, but there are better ways. 

Then we have Stark being the worst person. He is cruel, but has a conscious. After my reader rage, this doesn't make him more noble or likeable. It makes everything he does extra cold because we know he's thinking he should let this go, or be better about it. Again F#$% this Stark.

The worst part of all, is this book, stripped away from the crap...IS a good story. It could have been a good story. Instead it is the above.

Apparently this book is going to be made into a movie, which I can't handle. I'm ending my post here, because giving this book more thought is not something I want to do. Thanks for sticking through this post with me readers. Hopefully the next book is better, where I tackle a book with a plant in the title or on the cover.

Jass out. Hit me with your thoughts in the comments. 

Returning to The World of Chrestomanci with a new POV! and a Dedication to S. Boden

Early January and I am bringing you my first read! I feel so on top of things! So "Woooh! 2019!" ...It's sort of gross. If you know me, you know I'm pretty indifferent towards the new year: I don't make resolutions, I do make a yearly Zombie Apocalypse Team. I follow the "well we arbitrarily chose this 365 day calendar, so I guess it's a new year by virtue of that until they decide to change it!" school of thought (and if that isn't a school of thought, as a teacher, I feel I can invent it on the spot).

However, my feelings on New Year are not the focus of this post...no the focus is Stacey Boden! What? You ask. How is it Stacey Boden, you ponder? Let me tell you: If you read the previous post, I mentioned a friend encouraged me to continue this blog. I expressed to her how occasionally writing this blog makes me self-conscious, which dampens my desire to write it. Long story short, she said well Stacey loves these things so you know at least she'll like it! That was enough for me! I am nothing if not a people pleaser, and one person counts! So thank you to all the Stacey Boden's out there for their love of literature and sightly self-aggrandizing blogs (Have you seen how many books I'm trying to read? I mean, c'mon!)! This one's for you!

Okay, so lets get to the book. As mentioned in the previous post, I am beginning this challenge with a book that makes you nostalgic. At first I took this to mean a book I read as a child, so I thought I'd call the first one in and re-read Harry Potter. But then I learned something dear readers that shocked me to my core. It was as if the book heavens opened up from above and said stop! Put down that copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone! Why? Because there are more books added to the Chrestomanci ("KREST–OH–MAN–SEE") Series by Diana Wynne Jones (RIP)! I gasped! This is fate, I said to myself. A book that makes me nostalgic, but is still new to me! How did I not know this? How has it taken me this long to learn there were 'new' (last book published in 2006) books in the Worlds of Chrestomanci? It was because they were published after I graduated highschool, and assumed that a series (at the time) that had its last book published in 1982, and its latest short story in 2000 was probably done! IT WAS NOT! So dear readers I bring you Conrad's Fate by Diana Wynne Jones!

Published in 2005

Where to start with this book? I guess some backstory is needed, but my personal thought process on this book was, "OMG! OMG! OMG! Another book! I'm so happy!" Unfortunately that isn't helpful for those who do not know this series. So backstory it is!

I read the first book in the "Worlds of Chrestomanci" series, Charmed Life (1977),  when I was in grade 8. I picked up this colourful cover at my local Chapters, and was intrigued by the back cover. The books take place in a world where...there are many worlds! Referred to as the "Twelve Related Worlds" they are a series of Earths that started off as one world but split off after possible choices in history, particularly geological history. 

Allow me to give a brief explanation:

Within each of the world's there are about 9 series, although it's hinted there could me more, and they are formed when something historically big happens in the that specific world, and two (or more) outcomes are possible. One outcome happens in the original or premier series of that world, and the other happens in a split-off but parallel second series. For example: There are 12 worlds, they are all joined by a great edge. Something big occurs in World 3 Series A. It is so monumental that the alternative outcome splits off and creates World 3 Series B. Now we have 3A and 3B, but 3B is shook from whatever outcome created it and has important possibilities in front of it. They choose to go one way, but the other way is strong enough to create Series C. Because a series is from the same world, they are generally quite similar but with key differences. The related worlds may vary more from each other. The important thing is, everything is still connected. The 12 related worlds are all the branches of the same one world, and for the most part, all believe they are the only version of that original one world. Series of a world are all related to their starting world, and are like grandchildren to the first original world. As with the related worlds, a series may not even know of the existence of other series/worlds and have no reason to believe they are not the only world.  

Got it? Great!

So I read Charmed Life a tale of orphaned Eric "Cat" Chant (of 12A), who with his sister Gwendolyn, moves into Chrestomanci Castle. Gwendolyn has a gift for magic, Cat does not. She is thrilled to be fostered by Chrestomanci, because Chrestomanci is the title of the strongest magic user in ALL of the worlds. They are a nine-lifed enchanter/ess who are given the government job/title of Chrestomanci to police magic in the related worlds and prevent it's misuse and abuse. They are chosen because of their nine-lives. This means that all the versions of this individual that should have existed across their series, for whatever reason did not. So they got all the lives and magic and talent that would have been spread across, making them very powerful. I don't want to spoil Charmed Life so I won't say too much, except the first book introduces the concept and the main Chrestomanci throughout the series: Christopher Chant. The books themselves have different protagonists and take place in different worlds or series, but the link is always Christopher in his role as Chrestomanci gets summoned at one point and helps sort out the magical mess. Interestingly enough, not every series of a world has magic, but Chrestomanci still will (born with it).

That's essentially the back story needed to understand Conrad's Fate: Multiple worlds, some with magic, One enchanter/ess to govern them all, main one throughout series is Christopher Chant.

Now that that's covered, I'm going to go back to the nostalgia factor. I devoured these books, after reading and loving Charmed Life. It didn't hurt that I was born after the last one was published, so could burn through them. I remember finding the series in a smaller Indigo Books and my older cousin who was with me, bought me the next book. It was a gift and I felt special. This book series remind me of that moment, as well as the excitement of being a kid discovering a new book series. Discovering a new series is always a rush for me. It's like finding the key to a secret room, but no one else has it. I can decide to lend deserving people that key, or I can not. It's mine. 

Reading Conrad's Fate brought back all that excitement from when I was 13, as I revisited the Worlds of Chrestomanci, that I had fell in love with. There we have it, now nowhere left to go but onto the book so...onto the book.

Conrad's Fate by Diana Wynne Jones

What to say about this book? You all know it was read through a nostalgic lens, so there is going to be some positive bias for sure. Overall, I really enjoyed it! I read it in a single day, as it is a quick, easy read. This is true of all the books in the series, and I don't think I took more than a day or two to read any of them.  What struck me right away about this book was the point of view change. The novels and short stories had been Third-Person narratives, but Conrad's Fate uses First-Person. It is also the only tale that is narrated as a past story, that catches up to the present in the end. It was a nice change, and brought a different intimacy with the protagonist as we are told his thoughts at the time and current opinions of what happened. We are witness to his reflections and how he grew throughout the time period he discusses.

The story takes place at a stately manor, and there is a lot of Upstairs Downstairs or Downton Abbey that comes to mind. Conrad, who has grown up with a "bad fate" is told by his uncle to get a job at Stallery Mansion. His uncle, a magician, has discovered that Conrad's bad fate is due to him not stopping a bad person in a past life. He informs Conrad that he has divined that the person has been reborn, and is at Stallery mansion, and if Conrad finishes the job, his fate will be cleared. Conrad is given some tools to help him and away he goes, making his way to the mansion. He's not particularly impressed because he wants to go away to a magical university, and not murder anyone, but his uncle says his fortune shows he'll die in the year if he doesn't rectify his past life mistake. So what do you do? After passing an interview/examination, he is selected to be an 'improver', or a valet-in-training.
He's not the only one though, selected along with him is an undercover, teenaged Christopher Chant, otherwise known as the future Chrestomanci.

Which leads me to my favourite part of the book: The relationship between these two characters. It was nice to see Christopher as a teenager, but even nicer to see how he quickly bonded with and respected Conrad. Christopher has a quality of not learning names if the person they belong to is not important to him. Conrad is told this quality by Millie, (the reason Christopher is at the mansion is to find her) and realizes Christopher has never forgot his name. There is some nice banter between the two, and Conrad is a likeable character. His descriptions and impressions of Christopher  fill out the other's character very well!

Diana Wynne Jones has two great skills in writing this series (and presumably all her other books and stories): One is writing a series of behind the scenes sub-plots that are hinted at enough to notice them, but not enough to make them distracting or side-tracking. They always come together in a way that wraps up with the main conflict. This book is no exception; there are secret romances, and hidden identities galore.

The second skill is ALL THE TWIST ENDINGS! There is always some stray piece of information that comes out of nowhere at the conclusions, but, when you reflect back...the clues were always sort of there. There are some twists I see coming, but there are others I'm left shocked at. This is very hard to do to me. If you were to ask my sister, there is no twist ending I haven't predicted half-way through the book. Sometimes before that! As was the case with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. She read it before me, and told me I wouldn't like it. My response, hmm...(16 years ago spoiler alert) Sirius dies eh? "How did you guess that?" "It's the only thing that makes sense at this point in the tale." While DWJ can be predictable, something does always surprise me to some degree.

What I noticed this time around though, is how badly she writes female characters! There seems to be the same stereotypes she utilizes over again: Beautiful ingenue, Beautiful harpy,  Fat, plain, kindly woman, Fat, plain, horrible woman.  She then adds a quirk or extra element to one of those cookie cutters, and voila! A female character is created! That being said, Mille is absolutely interesting in every book she appears in, and this one is no exception. It's like all the dimension she could write in a secondary protagonist/side character who is female, was put into Millie. Although to be fair, Witch Week she builds some developed girls, but one is also the co-protagonist. She should be interesting!

Another key theme that seems to wind through the series, is how adults can let you down, particularly your own family. Conrad has a neglectful mom, and doesn't realize it until the end. Cat Chant was manipulated and used by his sister (Charmed Life). Christopher Chant was manipulated and used by his uncle (The Lives of Christopher Chant). She writes  those careless micro-aggressions parents might inflict on their children without realizing it, very well. It's a good reminder that everything we do is being noticed and picked up. That what we think are throwaway comments or minor criticism can be internalized and build into something more. As a teacher this is something I'm always thinking about and I try to be as specific and intentional with my words as possible.


All in all, it was a fun book and a great trip down nostalgia lane. I do recommend this series to anyone who wants to go on a fun, magical journey. If you've, dear reader, read a nostalgic book please tell me about it in the comments, or tell me what book you think would make you nostalgic to read now and why! I'd love to hear your thoughts and add some new books to the list!

Until next time, when I'll be reading a book with a two-word title!

Jass

PS. One last shout out to S. Boden: I think those wee ladies of yours would enjoy this series! And thanks for being a fellow book lover!

2019: Otherwise known as 'Here We Go Again!"

Hello friends,

It's me again.

Trying once more to complete the Popsugar Reading Challenge and document my journey.
Why am I doing this? This all started in 2016, when I first attempted the challenge, and made some progress, but did not finish. Not one to let failure get in my way, I decided to try again in 2017 where I'm happy to report I made an astonishing 0% of progress. So completely one to let failure get me down, I didn't bother attempting in 2018, and dare I say did a very successful job of not doing the challenge! Hashtag winning y'all!

But,
This year is different. This year, I feel as if I can really do this thing. I have a giant list of books I already want to read through, and many could fit into the challenge criteria. I was also encouraged by a friend to update this blog, and what can I say? I'm a sucker for an entertained audience. I also want to read more books than I did last year, and I want to encourage my friends to do the same. Please, follow along with me. I am starting the challenge with "A book that makes you nostalgic" Find your own book that makes you nostalgic and share it with me in the comments! I'll be posting my thoughts some time next week!

So here we go again! Hopefully you'll like to join me on this journey, and more hopefully you'll be entertained along the way!

Happy 2019!

Jass