Book Look: Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles

 A young boy works to stop the destruction and gentrification of his neighborhood.

This is an insightful middle-grade novel that doesn't shy away from sociopolitical aspects - gentrification and the black identity, police brutality, and black history are key themes. There are arguments amongst both the adults and the children about what should be done, with varying levels of privilege amongst each.

The dialogue is authentic - Mainly because a black woman wrote this book.

It is deeply thorough about research, self-education, and civic duty, while still being lighthearted.

Book Look: The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal

 

 

It's literally 800 e-book pages of unpacking various traumas and abuses - both past and present- faced by 3 sisters as they travel through India to honor the last wishes of their mother.

 

 It's a gently sloping hill from funny to "Oh wow that's pretty heavy" and it makes me think about my life, despite not having most of the experiences.

Jaswal really has a lovely writing style that's just descriptive enough to keep the story moving.

Book Look: Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

 

There's a lot of flourishy detail on the feelings of characters as they're kissing or touching, which is fine for the youth who may be closeted. But it feels like important things just ... happen with not a lot of fanfare. I'm not sure why this is happening here, or what is going on.

Some of it can be chalked up to my lack of knowledge of Arthurian Legend. Other times, it feels like I unintentionally skipped a paragraph just to go back and no, something is just happening and we're rolling with it. Then it just lingers so much and so long on a part where characters are separated and you really want them to reunite, it just feels like a waste.

Book Look: Queen's Peril By E.K Johnston

Yes, a sequel (prequel) to last year's "Queen's Shadow".

First, the first 60 pages alone focuses on the points of view of;

• Panaka
• Palpatine
• Sidious
• Obi-Wan
• Tsabin
• Padme
• Padme's Parents
• Each of the handmaidens as they're picked for the position
• Shimi Skywalker
• Maul
• Mariek Panaka (Whom I actually love and wish we saw more of)

The book is called "Queen's Peril", not everybody else. I do remember that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are involved with Naboo during the events of whatever stupid bullshit they were dealing with. The only acceptable POV outside of Padme's would be Tsabin (Sabe).

It feels like even the author was bored by the Trade Federation nonsense because it appears out of nowhere. I've always had the idea that George created it but no one else knew what the fuck he was getting at, and so here we are.

The problem is we know (Somewhat) about the actions of Phantom Menace. We didn't need to hear it again. If this was about the second year of Padme's reign after that, it would be more tolerable.

And that's all this book is; Tolerable. I didn't think the first one was the best Star Wars novel or anything, but it did give us new insight.

Book Look: The Poppy War by R.F Kuang

It almost has the same problems as "Songbirds" - The establishing 2/6ths is great, then there is a lot of slogging for about 250 pages. And this book is about 580 pages long.

I have no idea if we can call this a YA novel, simply because of all that happens. There are graphic depictions of drug use, murder, torture, rape, and while it's not every other page, it does hit you hard when you read it.

This is essentially a book about war and mythology, and I'm glad there was no shying away from the war aspect. It was made clear that Rin, the main character, could be sold off to some old man to be a child bride. No shying away from it, no "we have to use coy language".

It took me weeks to read it because there is just so much of everything besides the actual violence. The explanations. The inner monologue. It started off so well and now I'm just going "Where is an editor?"

Book Look: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

All of the YA/middle grade staples are returning in earnest in this new decade. There's an "Artemis Fowl" movie coming (finally), Percy Jackson has a reboot, and now let's read a Hunger Games prequel.

Coriolanus Snow is a kid whose family has fallen on hard times, after being one of the prime families in the Capitol of Panem. You can tell because he and his cousin, who would become the half-cat lady hiding in the costume shops in Mockingjay, keep repeating "Snow lands on top". He pretends he still has his wealth and prestige when in reality, they're sinking.

Book Look: Star Wars: Thrawn Novel by Timothy Zahn

In short, it's not my favorite Star Wars novel. It's probably my least favorite, simply because I'm not super fond of the military tactics, on either side of the Galactic Conflict.

There is one character who plays the political game - Arhinda Pryce of Lothal, who I quite liked as someone competent but stuck in a backwater (relatable) who gets the chance of a lifetime.

One of the biggest 'mysteries' of the series is 'Who is Blackswan', and for some reason, no one ever puts two and two together with the other character who has a swan-related name. You can kind of see why Thrawn didn't get it, as the Chiss don't naturally speak Basic, but even the humans don't? No one knew the etymology? Maybe not.

It doesn't make me want to read the next books in the series.

Book Look: Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World Written By: Scott McCormick

Here

While this is in the middle grade section of Audible Stories, there are a few serious topics briefly touched upon.

Narration is listed as "Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi, Samantha Turret, Khristine Hvam, Gabriel Vaughan, Josh Hurley"

I'm not sure who does the main narration, but he does a great job. The delivery is wry and straightforward, something I've always enjoyed in my media (See, "Frasier"), with the addition of a childish slant that makes me laugh ("Your face looks like a booger!").

It even taught me things I didn't know, such as RUN DMC had a song called "My Adidas", and that Adidas and Puma were created within the same family as rival sports brands.

While listed as a 'series', there are only 2 chapters, with 4 stories spread between them. I just learned this morning that there is, indeed, a Rivals 2!

Book Look: Interview With the Robot by Lee Bacon

Because of a little worldwide pandemic kicking off the decade, many businesses have put up free wares for people to enjoy.

They've also quickly added things once thought to be impossible, like 'child care for retail and hospital workers' and 'paying them more than 8$ an hour'.

Today's book is actually an audiobook! Interview With the Robot.

It's a 12 year old (In practice) robot girl named Eve, who was created and raised by David and Emory, a scientist and his son.

It's told in flashbacks, as Eve is separated from the two...of her own making. She escaped.

I enjoy everyone's vocal performances, especially Emory's. I can't review it a bunch because it would be spoiling a lot of interesting things. It's basically "What happens when a tech bro hits middle age?"

The bits of humor are rare, but they are funny.

Book Look: David Liss' Randoms series - "Randoms", "Rebels", "Renegades"

 A science fiction superfan finds himself on his very own space adventure when he s randomly selected to join an alien confederacy in this exhilarating middle grade debut novel. [..]To evaluate humanity s worthiness, the Confederation of United Planets has hand picked three of Earth s most talented young people and then there s Zeke. He s the random. Unfortunately, Zeke finds life in space more challenging than he d hoped. When he saves his transport ship from a treacherous enemy attack, he s labeled a war criminal. Now despised by the Confederation, rejected by his fellow humans, and pursued by a ruthless enemy, Zeke befriends the alien randoms: rejected by their own species, but loyal to each other. But their presence in the Confederation may not be so random after all, and as the danger increases, Zack s knowledge of science fiction might be the only thing that can save himself, his friends, and Earth itself."

The books are just as verbose as that description - and that's me cutting it down.

TLDR: Know it all sci-fi geek kid is hated on earth and in his new world, but gets the girl eventually. And the girl is a cat-girl hacker.  There's also a Cockney lizard guy who steals vehicles and is terribly underused, talented non-white kids, and a society of bad guys that I'm still not sure what their plan is.

Book Look: The Hermux Tantamoq Adventures by Michael Hoeye

I have always loved the cover. I picked it up because it didn't have pictures on it. Little did I know, it was called 'minimalism in that funky 90's, wavy way with the scrawly font.

Hands down the most obscure book I've mentioned here, and undoubtedly the one that has influenced me the most. These were much more popular in Europe; That is to say; They heard of them over in France and Germany. USA, well, we were all on the Harry Potter train, and rightfully so.

Before there was "Geronimo Stilton", before there was "Redwall", before there was "Mistmantle", there was this: Hermux Tantamoq.

A watchmaker who leads a simple life; Coffee, his job, funny suits, his pet ladybug, reading. He inadvertently ends up as a pseudo-detective. There's still an appeal of having a fairly ordinary job and talent for something you love, while also being head-first in something else that's wilder.

And being able to own a lovely apartment on what must be a middling salary. 90s kids can't relate.

Because yes, this was for kids. And looking back at it, I'm not sure it was intended to be.

Book Look: Star Wars: Dark Disciple by Christie Golden

Oh look, another Star Wars novel, the first one I've read that's not by E.K Johnston or Claudia Grey.

Very surprised to see a bit of Anakin in here. Are there any canon novels that actually focus on him? I've read more books about Obi-Wan and Padme than him (A surprise, but a welcome one).

Book Look: Warcross by Marie Lu

It's amazing how many Marie Lu books I've come across but never picked up until now. Mainly because this cover is pretty, it was in the clearance section, and it was the only one signed.

The setup is similar to the stories of 'old', and by 'old' I mean 'circa 2009 - 2012'. Talented girl is tough but poor, exposes her talent, brought into a rich world, there's only one other female character with any kind of presence, falls in love with rich dude.

My cover is white and rainbow-y!

Book Look: The Mistmantle Chronicles (Again)

This post has more indepth than the post previous about this series. So I've deleted that one.

These books are more in the vein of the Redwall series, but with no animal species dictated as the 'evil' ones and others as the 'good' ones. There's a heavier slant on religion, a fake one, but religion nonetheless.

Spoilers for all 5 books.

Urchin of The Riding Stars

We are introduced to a lovely little place where animals work happily, ruled by a king and queen, there's fresh food and water everywhere. Boats and toys are made by otters by the coasts, moles dig tunnels, and peace is kept.

Until the crown prince is found dead and a captain is framed for the murder.

Book Look: Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray

The cover art looks familiar...Alice Zhang?

The other Star Wars novel that came out in April of 2019.

Claudia Gray is the best Star Wars author in the present day, and I wish she had written the Padme novel "Queen's Shadow", even though E.K Johnson did a fair job. I'm reading it again, and I still feel that we don't know as much about Padme as we knew about Leia in "Princess of Alderaan" or "Bloodline".

I just LOVE Claudia Gray SO MUCH, but I'm so grateful we got anything to do with Padme at all. You know she's my favorite Star Wars character. I love characters like that, elected nobility who does their best by people and are constantly targets of assassination.

Book Look: Ronan Boyle and The Bridge of Riddles by Thomas Lennon

The Old School:
Harry, Percy, and Artemis.
You don't need last names. You know who they are.

The Middling School; Very few people read these books so if I name dropped them in casual conversation, who would know:

Darren Shan...

Maybe Eragon? But that was kind of popular.

Oh - Nathaniel (Who? You'll see).

The New School:
Arthur Whipple (The Fantastic Family Whipple), Benjamin Ripley (Spy School), and now, I suppose Ronan Boyle.

Man, young white boys on mostly magical adventures written in somewhat snarky tones have definitely permeated middle grade books for the past 20 years, haven't they.

Book Look: Queen's Shadow By E.K Johnson

PADMÉ HAS A BOOK I REPEAT SHE HAS A BOOK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1999.

Okay, I'm done.


Alright, so I did try EK Johnson's Ahsoka novel, and .... I didn't finish it. It was pretty predictable, the new characters were not compelling enough for me to wonder "Oh wow, what will the fallout be?"

I much preferred Claudia Grey's Leia: Princess of Alderaan and Bloodline for a more direct and less 'introspective for 5 pages' style.

Where does Queen's Shadow fall?

Book Look: Redwall

Here is something that made up a huge part of my childhood, the precursor to Mistmantle, but with a lot more black and white morality, happy endings, and monster horror. Redwall has 22 books with a 23rd one in development before Brian Jacques's untimely passing.

Which still bums me out like seven years later.

While this is the first book written for the series, it is chronologically number 9. I'm curious as to how many of them I can get through before either DirectTV or Xfinity restores our services.

Being the first book, there are some major things that stand out differently from the rest of the series; Hence, why this book is more or less considered Canon Discontinuity with the other 21.

Book Look: Star vs. The Forces of Evil; The Magic Book of Spells

Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

Featuring fourteen entries of fourteen Queens of Mewni, with plenty of beautiful illustrations, lore, and clear, distinct voices for each.

Book Look: Artemis Fowl #5: The Lost Colony

I think one day,when someone asked Colfer, "In a world with fairies, pixies, sprites, goblins, trolls, and centaurs, where are the demons?", he said "...Good question."

They're in an island out of time, of course.

I am no stranger to the Artemis Fowl series. Hell, the movie adaptation, despite multiple casting fails, is one of my most anticipated of 2019.

While my personal favorite of the series remains The Opal Deception, The Lost Colony is right up there.

Ten thousand years ago, humans and fairies fought a great battle for the magical island of Ireland. When it became clear that they could not win, all of the faeries moved below ground—all except for the 8th family, the demons. Rather than surrender, they used a magical time spell to take their colony out of time and into Limbo. There they have lived for decades, planning their violent revenge on humans.