Norabelle414's Trilogy in Two Parts

(This morning's coffee, taken from my reading chair)

Hi! I'm Nora. I live in Washington DC. This is my EIGHTH YEAR of having my own thread in the 75ers group! I don't read that much right now but I still love books. I also love:

animals - on the weekends I volunteer at Smithsonian's National Zoo
TV - scripted only, mostly science fiction and fantasy, especially anything based on a book
feminism
theater - I have season tickets to Arena Stage but I often go to shows elsewhere as well
podcasts - especially about books
knitting
travel

You can find me on Twitter @ norabelle414

Some books I have finished recently:

Octavia E. Butler's Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy
Scalped, Vol. 1: Indian Country by Jason Aaron
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

For Paul's use only, here is where you can find the books I've read this year: https://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=norabelle414&collection=430963...

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde

A memoir of Audre Lorde, the great mid-century, Black, female, lesbian, feminist, civil rights activist poet. This book chronicles her life in New York City from her childhood in the late 1930s through her college degree in 1959.

Wow, is this a far-reaching story. I learned a lot about life as a black woman in the 30s-50s in NYC, as I expected to, but I was surprised to relate so strongly to so many aspects of Audre Lorde's life. She really spoke to me when she talked about her relationship with her mother, her many early friendships that came in and out of her life, and her difficulty with hetero-normative gender roles (which were strong even within the lesbian community). There is so much going on here that it's impossible to find nothing to learn nor relate to. She was always shut out of something or other, because she was black or because she was a woman or because she was gay or because she refused to label herself as either butch or femme. She doesn't relate to anyone in all aspects, but she relates to everyone in some aspect.

I'm dying to read and know more about Audre Lorde now, and I highly highly recommend this book, even if you aren't sure if it's for you. It is.

Happy new thread, Nora. Good to see you posting. xx

Currently checked out from the library:
Sabriel by Garth Nix
The Walking Dead, Vol. 27: The Whisperer War
Mr. Burns and Other Plays by Anne Washburn

Other currently reading / to be read soon:
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
"All the Real Indians Died Off" and 20 Other Myths About Native Americans by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Ashes to Fire by Emily B. Martin
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

>5 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul!

Happy new thread, Nora! Wishing you a lovely Sunday.

Happy new thread! The view from your reading chair looks so nice and relaxing (and colour-coordinated!).

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Nora!

Happy new thread!

I finally started watching Galavant. So enjoyable!

Happy new thread!

And then I binge watched the rest of Galavant today (home sick). I kind of have heart eyes about it and have already told two friends they must watch it. :D

Thank you Micky, Zoe, Jim, Amber, foggi, and Leah!

>15 MickyFine:


I'm glad you liked it!!! If you've now fallen thoroughly in love with Joshua Sasse I suggest "No Tomorrow", a probably-going-to-be-cancelled CW show in which he plays a seriously adorable conspiracy theorist. I think it's on Netflix in Canada.

>17 norabelle414: I totally added it to my Netflix list because I really like him. And his beard.

>18 MickyFine: Don't worry, he's still got a beard!

>19 norabelle414: Swoons.

>18 MickyFine: / >19 norabelle414: Never heard of him but my beard is just as bushy but I don't look nearly as fetching in a wooly hat.

Have a great weekend, Nora.

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Sabriel is the daughter of Abhorsen, a powerful mage tasked with protecting the world from evil forces of death originating from the Old Kingdom, to the north beyond the wall. She is pulled out of a mundane life at boarding school when Abhorsen goes missing, and she has to travel into the Old Kingdom (and into death itself) to find him and save everyone from a terrible evil.

I probably should have read this book earlier in my life, because I was not very impressed. The plot is a good fantasy adventure story, but my standards have changed in the past few decades! It's a very pre-Harry Potter type of fantasy, with lots of mood-setting but not much world-building. Post-Harry Potter fantasy definitely has its own problems with too much world-building, but had so many questions about the world of Sabriel that I had trouble getting a grip and I was distracted from the plot. Is Ancelstierre a country? A continent? How big is it? (The map in my edition only showed a sliver of Ancelstierre south of the wall.) What is life like for the people who live far away from the wall? Do they know that magic exists or are they just like us? Does this world have some relation to our world? When does the story take place in relation to our world? (I calculated roughly the 1920s, because there is a mention of tanks just having been invented, which is a very distinct choice to make when writing a book in the 1990s, so why??). Aside from world-building questions, the narration switched focus sometimes in a way that I did not like. The book was decent, but not outstanding. I might continue the series one day.

Awww, I love Sabriel. But I read it sufficiently early in life.

>19 norabelle414: Started watching it yesterday. Yay for beards and keeping his accent. Also, it's a pretty cute show so far.

The Walking Dead, Volume 27: The Whisperer War by Robert Kirkman

***Spoilers below for previous books in the series***

After Negan chopped off Alpha's head in the previous volume, he returns to understandably skeptical Rick and Dwight. The Whisperers plan their next attack, the Kingdom/Hilltop/Alexandria plan their defense, and the Sanctuary plans...something? Plus, the most devastating loss of the whole series! (JK)

We can see how the 3 years of relative peace between fighting the Saviors and the Whisperers created cracks in the bonds between the different groups. They all got complacent and have forgotten how much they need each other in this world. Negan is basically a main character now and I am here.for.it. Will he be able to redeem himself??? Is he planning something nefarious??? I don't know! I can't wait to find out!
This was great and is my favorite volume of the series in a long time!

>23 _Zoe_: I might appreciate it more if I read more books in the series, eventually.

>24 MickyFine: I'm glad you like it! At first it's just goofy and cute but later it becomes weird and cute and good. The only bad thing about the show is this weird promo image they use where it looks like she's pulling out Xavier's mustache hair:

>26 norabelle414: It's a strange choice of photo, it's true. While IMDbing the actress who plays Evie to figure out how tall she is (am I the only who does this a lot?) I discovered she's from Edmonton! Small world.

>27 MickyFine: Cool! I'm not usually interested in how tall actors are but I do a LOT of IMDBing to find out what else people have been in and where they are from (spoiler alert: all actors on all shows I like are from Canada)

>28 norabelle414: Canada is pretty great. :D

I finished No Tomorrow last night. Now I'm really hoping it gets renewed because I really want to see how they do another season after that finale. And also I'm super fond of all the characters. And Joshua Sasse's face.

>30 MickyFine: There's almost zero chance it'll get renewed :-( But I'm so happy that someone else likes it as much as I do! The characters are so great, especially Timothy.

Some good news: The Sexy Vicar Show season 3 premieres in the U.S. on June 18 (I don't know when you guys get it in Canada)

>31 norabelle414: I was checking the Cancel Bear and saw odds weren't good. But you never know. CW does weird things sometimes. *shrug*

As for sexy vicar, PBS comes out of the States for us so I'll get it the same day. I'll set my PVR. :)

>32 MickyFine: Have you watched The Durrells? That one is coming back too but not until October.

>33 norabelle414: Nope, I missed that one. Good?

Now that I've binge watched all the Joshua Sasse things, I'm back to Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix.

Have you watched this week's Agents of SHIELD? How you feeling about the Framework stuff so far?

>31 norabelle414: The Sexy Vicar Show? Is that Grantchester or are there more than one show about a sexy vicar?

>35 PawsforThought: Yup, that's the sexy vicar we mean.

>35 PawsforThought: If only!!!

>34 MickyFine: The current season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine just came back from hiatus this week and I had missed it so. It's such a good show.

I just watched Agents of SHIELD and I'm really liking the Framework. It's a good way to bring back a certain character who is very fun to see but needs to stay dead in the "real world" ;-)

>37 norabelle414: I'm about halfway through season 2 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and really enjoying it.

I have the same feeling about that certain character. However, FITZ! My beautiful, sweet Fitz. *sobs*

>36 MickyFine: Sigh.

>37 norabelle414: I thought it seemed unlikely.

Hope you have a great Easter weekend!

>40 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle!

Wel, hell. I missed your birthday :(

Happy belated, and I hope it was a good one!

>42 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! I'm celebrating all weekend so you're not too late ;-) Last night I went out for tacos and margaritas with my work friends, tonight I'm going to a basque cidery for dinner with my friends (ANXO), and then tomorrow I'm having a combination Easter/birthday lunch with my family.

Oooh, ANXO looks awesome! I will have to keep it in mind for my next visit to your fair city....

Dang nabbit. I must do better at keeping track of birthdays.

Happy belated birthday!

So behind on all the things. Belated Happy Birthday!

The Durrell's in Corfu was so good! I missed it when it actually showed, but I just finished it on Amazon Prime last week and can't wait for it to come back.

I was confused about the sexy vicar show too, but I'm thrilled that Grantchester comes back so soon!

Shield is KILLING me as usual. The Framework is sucking out my soul. I'm really loving decent guy Ward being back just so long as they don't find some way to resurrect him in the real world and repeat all the crap.

>44 katiekrug: It's definitely your kind of place!

>45 MickyFine: Thanks Micky!

>46 leahbird: Yaaay, someone else who loves The Durrells! RE: Agents of SHIELD - Yeah, I'm totally here for bringing back all the dead people within the framework, but not spilling over into the real world. Do you think we'll get to see Lincoln again? I can't tell if they're playing coy with him to set up for a big reveal, or because they couldn't actually get the actor to come back.

I am still chugging along through some books! I'm almost done with Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, which I like. I'm aiming to finish on Sunday because on Monday there will be an episode of Overdue podcast about it.
I'm also reading Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn, which I do not like.

On deck are:
Ashes to Fire by Emily B. Martin (a friend of mine from college) - it's the sequel to Woodwalker, which I enjoyed a lot
Camp So-and-So by Mary McCoy - from the library
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor - from the library
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - from the library
and probably a graphic novel from the bunch that I bought last year

>48 norabelle414: Never Let Me Go is probably my favourite of all the Ishiguros I've read. It's just so beautiful. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

SHIELD I was endlessly amused that Fitz's dad was played by the guy whose body Harry Potter used to get into the Ministry in Deathly Hallows. Also yay for Tripp being back! It's so delightful to see some early characters reappearing.

>49 MickyFine: LOL! I vaguely recognized the actor but I didn't make the connection.

Agents of SHIELD I am very pleased with the last few episodes' obvious digs at the U.S.'s current teeter on the edge of fascism. I'm here for it.

>50 norabelle414: I know. The nevertheless she persisted reference cracked me up this week.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I think the effect of this book might have been lessened for me because I already knew about the secret/mystery? So if you haven't read this book just go ahead and do it. It's a good book and a great example of speculative fiction.

An English woman named Kathy, working as some kind of nurse, recounts her childhood at a boarding school with a focus on her friendships with a girl named Ruth and a boy named Tommy.

This book was okay but as I mentioned above I think I lost out because I already knew that the kids were clones bred for organ donation. I didn't care for Ruth because I thought she was too aggressive and mean; I didn't care for Kathy or Tommy because I thought they were too passive (mostly in their reaction to Ruth's rudeness). Because of this the book dragged for me in the middle because I wanted to know more about cloning and organ donation but all I got was melodrama between the 3 characters. But in general it's a well-written book and I'll definitely pick up more Ishiguro in the future.

I think it's notable that it never occurs to any of the self-aware clones to run away or try to escape their fate. They have a ton of freedom while at the cottages and as carers, and they think about all kind of other things like falling in love and getting deferrals and finding their clone-parent. How do they not at least think about running away? Is it proof that they do not have souls?

A quick note about the final page of the book: Kathy drives off in a random direction in Norfolk, gets out of the car, and walks to a ploughed field surrounded by an electric-wire topped fence. Am I wrong in interpreting this as her actually finding Hailsham? It seemed so perfect that she would find Hailsham by instinct right after losing Tommy, and also that it would be located in Norfolk. That would explain why the school did not have a proper map of Norfolk (to prevent kids from figuring out where they are), and it would be very poetic that the place where all the lost things go was where the kids were to begin with. But I went back and re-read the page and I don't think there's actually any textual evidence for my interpretation.

>52 norabelle414: Glad you kind of/ sort of liked that one. I do really recommend the film version as it's sooo gorgeous.

Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn

A few months after the breakdown of society, a group of survivors try to remember the plot of episodes of The Simpsons to entertain and distract themselves from the world falling apart around them and the deaths of their loved ones. Several years later, various theater troupes perform elaborate productions of episodes of The Simpsons, and trade half-remembered lines from them like currency. Many, many years later, humanity has devolved into nothing but a twisted, cult-like reenactment of The Simpsons, with all the plots and characters muddled together. Nelson raps a lot.

It's a really fascinating concept, similar to Station Eleven. How will the entertainment of today affect us in a future where society has broken down? What will we remember in the first couple years and what will be eternal? In the first act there is lots of talk about what is going on in the world and where people's loved ones might be. In the second act there is a little talk of interpersonal relations. The third act is entirely Simpsons-ified.

The execution of this interesting concept in written form is a total nightmare. I'm sure it's different when seen on stage, but reading this play in a book was like reading a transcript of a poorly-spoken person trying to answer a question that they don't know the answer to. Characters speak over each other constantly and repeat the same word or phrase several times and speak entirely in long strings of sentence fragments without punctuation. This is definitely how people actually speak sometimes, but reading it on a page is deeply unpleasant. I would probably see a production of a play written by Anne Washburn, but I won't read any more.

>53 MickyFine: I've had the film on my list for awhile, but after reading the book I was hesitant since I didn't like the characters and there's not much action. But if it's really gorgeous I'll probably watch it just for that.

>52 norabelle414: I need to read that. The spoiler text . . . it mocks me.

>56 foggidawn: Do it! It's not very long and I would love to hear your thoughts.

I'm currently obsessed with Camp So-and-So by Mary McCoy which is so weird and fun! Unless something goes terribly wrong between now and the end, I really like it. It's a YA book about a strange summer camp for girls. Each chapter is about a different cabin of five girls who have a different weird adventure. It's written in a really cool way, with each group of girls having a totally different dynamic and going on a totally different adventure. In some of the cabins the characters are very well developed, and in some the girls don't even have names. It's really fascinating.

>58 norabelle414: Yay for good books! I look forward to your final verdict.

TV Updates:

Last weekend I had free HBO so I caught up on Veep and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and also watched the new HBO movie adaptation of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I liked it, especially the montages of medical research and the historical flashbacks. I felt the "writing and researching the book" narrative was wayyyyy simplified and focused on Skloot much more than the book did. It's worth checking out but not before you've read the book.

This week I've been catching up on seasons 2 and 3 of Younger, a phenomenal show about a 40-year-old woman who pretends to be 26 so she can get an entry-level job in the publishing industry. In addition to being hilarious and insightful, it also is a fun parody of the publishing industry featuring such works as "P is for Pigeon", a book by an Asian author about simplifying your belongings and your life, and the epic fantasy series "Clash of Kings" by bearded old man "Edward L. L. Moore". I highly recommend the show! It's based on the book Younger, but I haven't heard good things so I think I'll stick with the show.

This weekend I conveniently have a free weekend of Starz, just in time for the series premiere of American Gods. I'll probably also get caught up on Outlander (I've only seen the first season so far) and Philippa Gregory's The White Princess.

Be prepared, the second season of Outlander will punch all your feels.

Audiobook SYNC is back already! Where did the time go?? For those not familiar, Audiobook SYNC is a program (for teenagers, but whatever, bite me) that lets you download two free audiobooks every week for the whole summer. They pair a Young Adult title with a related Classic or required-reading-type title. As in previous years, I plan to post what the titles are and express my excitement every week. (Technically, you can look up what all the titles will be right now if you hate fun.) I like to participate by annoying everyone with weekly posts in which I pre-judge whether the books look interesting or not (just kidding I'm mostly nice about it)

This year's program has once again been expanded by a week. It's now 16 weeks (32 audiobooks).

If you want to know more about the program you can find it here: http://audiobooksync.com just DON'T look at what the upcoming books are going to be or I will KNOW and be very mad disappointed at you.

This week on Audiobooksync.com :

The theme is true self and horror -

YA - The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich, read by Charlotte Parry and Christian Coulson
Classic - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, read by Greg Wise (presumably the British actor from "The Crown" and "Sense & Sensibility", married to Emma Thompson)

(I don't see any region restrictions listed so I guess they're available everywhere?)

I really love listening to audiobook horror so I'll download both of these. Dorian Gray is definitely one of those books I should have read by now but the only Wilde I have is a huge omnibus which I don't even know why I bought it because reading out of an omnibus is so unpleasant. The Dead House looks fun. It's got a low rating on LT but there are several rave reviews that give it 3 stars so I don't think the ratings are accurate.

>63 norabelle414: I loved Dorian Gray. Wasn't sure I would, because it was the first Wilde I read, and didn't have any reference points (and reading a classic is often a bit daunting).

>62 norabelle414: I've skimmed the list already (it was in AudioFile, which I read for work) but I never remember what was on it so you're weekly updates are always fun. :)

The Picture of Dorian Gray is really good reading. I enjoyed it a lot.

I'm having issues downloading the books to my phone this year (I got a new phone in September). *grumble grumble*

ETA: it's working fine now so ignore my grumbling.

Hi, Nora! I came here looking for sexy dude photos, and your new thread did not disappoint.

How are you liking the White Princess? I must confess I'm not liking it as much as the White Queen. Lizzie irritates me for some reason, but maybe it will get better....

>67 rosylibrarian: Hi Marie! Glad I could be of service :-)

I watched the first 3 episodes of The White Princess and I think I enjoyed it about equally to The White Queen. Though I remember The White Queen picked up quite a bit for me toward the end, so we shall wait and see.

Every time I see Lizzie's mother I think, oh look it's Phryne Fisher!

Theater Updates:

In March I saw Intelligence, about Valerie Plame. I wasn't very impressed. It wasn't a very deep play and it ended with Plame getting fired from the CIA which is hardly the end of her story.

In April I saw A Raisin in the Sun, which I had never seen or read before. It was really wonderful and much less depressing than I was expecting it to be. As usual the acting and sets were fantastic and I enjoyed it a lot.

Last week I saw Smart People, a comedy about a Black male doctor, a Black actress, an Asian-American psychologist, and a white male research neurologist trying to deal with race relations among liberal intellectuals in Cambridge, MA in 2007. It might have been incisive in 2010-ish, but at this point in history it just looks horribly dated and tone-deaf. We have bigger racial problems right now than a white man trying to prove that ALL white people are racist instead of just most of them. In the end, the white guy's inner racism is brought to the forefront when his research on the neurological basis for racism loses funding. It's very similar to the climax of Lynn Nottage's Sweat, except that it doesn't make any logical sense and falls completely flat. There were also several sex scenes which were very uncomfortable to watch sitting next to my dad.
The part I really did like was the Asian-American woman's struggles with feeling left out of conversations about race because she is not white or Black or Hispanic and is relegated to "other". I would much rather watch a whole play about her.

That's the end of my Arena Stage subscription for the year. I've renewed for next year, and you can see upcoming performances HERE.

Sometime later this month, TBD, I'll be going to see Timon of Athens at the Folger Theater. I'm completely unfamiliar with that play so I might skim it before seeing the production.

TV Updates:

I got all caught up on Younger, which was spectacular as expected. I watched season 2 of Outlander. I found most of the season to be just okay, except for the finale which was so so good. The pilot of American Gods was spectacular. The first three episodes of The White Princess were quite good as well.

All that binge-watching has made me very far behind on normal TV, but I'm currently caught up on the following:
The 100
The Americans
Andi Mack
Arrow
Class
The Flash
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
iZombie
Jane the Virgin
Saturday Night Live
Supergirl
as well as all shows I watch that had their season finale before last week.

On my list to watch after I get caught up on regular TV are:
Grace and Frankie (s3)
13 Reasons Why
Chewing Gum (s2)
The Get Down (s2)
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (new season)
Bill Nye Saves the World
Girlboss
Catastrophe (s3)
Dear White People
Sense8 (s2) (coming out this Friday)
The Last Kingdom (s2) (coming out this Friday)

Book Updates:

The weekend before last I had a meetup at Kramerbooks with Jim (Drneutron) and Rachel (The_Hibernator) and their families. We ate good food and had a great time. I bought The Invasion of the Tearling, which I tried listening to on audio when it first came out but decided at the time that I'd rather read it on paper.

Yesterday I received my pre-ordered copy of Mockingbird, Vol 2: My Feminist Agenda.

I'm still reading Camp So-and-So, and it's still great.

>69 norabelle414: My last two plays for my season tickets at our local professional theatre were both adaptations. Peter and the Starcatcher was about as good as it's source material (which I found meh) although the guy playing Smee did some adorable pre-show antics that were delightful. Sense and Sensibility was really well done and I had a great time at that one - unsurprisingly.

>70 norabelle414: I tried watching The Durrells and I didn't like any of the characters after the first episode and didn't really want to spend another 5 hours on it. I've been ignoring lots of real TV stuff (other than Once and Doctor Who) as I started a Buffy rewatch. I'm using a skip/watch guide from Liz Tells Frank so I'll likely be rolling Angel in once I hit season 4 of Buffy. So basically nothing new is getting near my eyeballs for the next month or so.

>71 norabelle414: Yay for good books!

>71 norabelle414: With a subtitle likw "My Feminist Agenda", I had to check out Mockingbird, and it looks interesting - I'd never heard about it before. Nice to see comics with a female lead, and a kickass one at that (so it seems from the preview on Amazon, at least).

>72 MickyFine: That's sad about The Durrells! I don't like the two older boys much but I love Margo and Gerald and the mom. I think it gets much better after the first episode, but you do you!

Another local theater is doing Crazy for You in December and I've definitely put that on my calendar.

>73 PawsforThought: Mockingbird is so good! Bobbi Morse is very funny and wry and she has a corgi. The artwork is really fun. Unfortunately the writer got a ton of really terrible harassment for the cover of issue #8 (also the cover of Volume 2, below for anyone who doesn't want to click through), which was the final issue because Mockingbird got cancelled.

>74 norabelle414: Noo! It got cancelled? But it sounds so good! Why do people have to ruin things for the rest of us, can't they just not read it?

The artwork looks good - I checked a couple of pages of both volumes and the first thing that struck me was that she looks like she could be a real human. Most female comic characters are so Barbie-esque that I can't read them because it's so off-putting. But even though she's slim and fit she has the body of a woman who could actually exist (and her boobs aren't watermelons that transcend the laws of gravity).

Confession time: I'm not a corgi fan. I know, I should probably be taken out and shot.

>74 norabelle414: Yay for Crazy for You! I hope it's a great production for you. :)

This week on Audiobooksync.com :

The theme is science fiction forecasts and the future of humanity -

YA - Feed by M.T. Anderson, read by David Aaron Baker, John Beach, Anne Twomey, & Tara Sands (presumably available everywhere?)
Classic - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, read by Stephen Fry (available in USA, Canada, "Open Market" (whatever that means))

Great books so far this year! Feed has been on my radar for a long time so I will definitely download that one (although I suspect I would prefer to read it on paper). The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a favorite, or course, but I'm not much for re-"reading" books on audio. But I know a lot of you are! So download both of these.
Side Note: The weekly email presents both of these as plausible futures for humanity - which is a truly laughable idea for Hitchhiker's Guide. In an amusing way!

>77 norabelle414: Ooh, two good ones this week!

>75 PawsforThought: Yeah, they didn't have enough issues of Mockingbird to fill this second volume, so it also contains "New Avengers #13" and "New Avengers #14" and Bobbi looks very different in those issues.

>79 norabelle414: Aw, that's too bad.

I don't think I've listened to that version of Hitchhiker's Guide. I've read it and I've listened to the version Adams recorded but not the Fry one. I'm sure it's good though.

I'm taking a break from Camp So-and-So (even though it's great and I'm almost done) to read Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor, because it is due back at the library soon and I can't renew. I've read 50 pages so far and it's fantastic!

I caught up on the following TV shows:
Call the Midwife (this week's episode (s6e5) was SO GOOD! It was nice to see Violet again. I miss Nurse Patsy and I hope she comes back, but also I love the new nurse. And I love Trixie and the dentist together so much! I hope it works out for them.)
Doctor Who (also so good! I love Bill! I want to know what's in the vault!)
Into the Badlands
Once Upon a Time

I also watched the first 2 episodes of the new show "Great News" but I didn't care for it.

>81 norabelle414: Musical episode of OUaT this weekend. I'm pretty psyched. :D

>82 MickyFine: Yeeeeees. I was a little bit disappointed that Rumpelstiltskin was double-crossing them in this week's episode, because I just want a storyline to be wrapped up for once. Especially before a big event episode like the wedding.

>83 norabelle414: Honestly, last week's episode jumped the shark for me a bit last week. Tiger Lily is Rumple's (former) fairy godmother and he was supposed to be a saviour? I rolled my eyes a lot. Also, Rumple and Belle's reconciliation is starting to skeeve me out. That relationship is so unhealthy. There are still characters and plot lines I care about a lot but if the show isn't renewed this year, I'll probably be ok with it.

>84 MickyFine: That seemed par for the course to me ;-) I'm sticking around because I want to know what happened to all my favorite characters who aren't around anymore, like Red and Mulan. But they'll probably never come back

On a different TV note, I borrowed the first season of The Librarians from work and watched the first episode last night. So much cheesy fun. :D

>86 MickyFine: I watched the first season of The Librarians, but it did not do it for me. I wish I liked it :-(

>87 norabelle414: That is sad. Had you watched the movies before?

Wishing you a great weekend, Nora.

By the way Nora, your link to your reading @ >3 norabelle414: goes to my catalog!

>90 PaulCranswick: Weird! The link didn't copy right from last year, and it was going to the catalog of whoever clicked on it. It's all fixed now! Thanks for letting me know.

>88 MickyFine: I have not watched any of The Librarian movies

No Tomorrow has officially been cancelled :-( R.I.P.

>92 norabelle414: I feel like those are a good barometer for knowing whether the TV series is worth your time. Although that being said, my mom really likes the movies and didn't like the TV series so who even knows.

Sad face for No Tomorrow. I also saw Emerald City was cancelled, which I know you didn't like as much but I found solidly entertaining.

>93 MickyFine: Yeah. If it had gotten renewed I might have given it another chance, but alas. Maybe that's good news for Timeless, though?

Once all the news is out this weekend I'll do a round-up of what shows I watch that have gotten renewed/cancelled.

>94 norabelle414: I am crossing so many appendages for Timeless. It was probably my favourite of the new shows this year, just nudging ahead of This Is Us only because I don't have to mentally prepare myself for being emotionally devastated every episode. :P

I jinxed it! Timeless is cancelled.

>96 norabelle414:

BUT the Black Lightning TV show got picked up, starring Cress Williams from Hart of Dixie ♥ ♥ ♥

This week on Audiobooksync.com :

The theme is teen voices -

YA - Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes, read by Jessica Almasy, Cherise Boothe, Kevin R. Free, Marc Damon Johnson, Sisi Aisha Johnson, and Melanie Martinez (U.S. and Canada)
Classic - Teenage Diaries: Then and Now hosted by Joe Richman, read by the diarists (presumably available everywhere)

Neither for me this week, though neither of them looks bad. I think I would much rather read the first book than listen to it, and I've heard some of the stories in the second book already on NPR. They're just not what I'm looking for in an audiobook.

Sony agreed to cut the licensing fee for Timeless and NBC decided to renew the show for a 10-episode summer season in 2018. What a roller-coaster ride!

I was coming here just to tell you I'd seen that Timeless was uncanceled, but you already know. Glad you got good news on that front!

>100 norabelle414: I saw that and immediately had to pop by and make sure you knew. Yay!

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Sunny is an albino girl in Nigeria, and so she has always felt different from everyone else. But little did she know that she's actually a Leopard, magical humans that live among us unsuspecting Lambs. Two of her schoolmates introduce her to the Leopard world, and once she is initiated her albinism turns from a hindrance to a gift. But not everything is fun and games, because the Lamb newspapers are full of stories of a madman kidnapping and murdering children in Nigeria and Sunny and her friends are the only ones who can stop him.

The plot of this book leaves a little to be desired, but the world-building is AMAZING. Every fascinating detail is well-thought out, from a library full of magic books to a magical wrestling match to cute magical creatures only Leopards can see. I'm dying to read more and will be picking other books by Nnedi Okorafor ASAP. Highly, highly recommended.

Camp So-and-So by Mary McCoy

Twenty-five girls head off to camp for the summer. In five groups they have their adventures, like girls at summer camp do. But everything seems a little *too* perfect, and something seriously weird is going on. And why is this book structured like a play?

There's so little I can say about this book without spoiling the fun. It's like seven stories packed into one, with everything connecting and intertwining and much more than it seems. At first there were a few bits of the story or writing that annoyed me, but by the end it turns out everything had a purpose. This is the best book I've read in awhile, and I highly recommend it. It's hard to point out a book to compare it to because there are so many different stories going on at once. I'm very much looking forward to reading more by this author, and I also really really want to read the fake book series that all the girls in the book are obsessed with.

Currently reading:
March, Book 2 by John Lewis
Mockingbird, Vol 2: My Feminist Agenda by Chelsea Cain
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Coming Soon:
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Ashes to Fire by Emily B. Martin

Glad to see you've had some excellent reads recently. :)

>106 MickyFine: Thanks! It's been a good reading year so far. I have been recommending "Camp So-and-So" to literally everyone because it is so different and good and not yet popular.

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Once Upon a Time season finale! It went exactly as expected, because that's what fairy tales do. I am pissed that Rumplestiltzkin and Belle are back together because he is the worst, but I know she won't be back next year so whatever. I am VERY EXCITED ABOUT ADULT HENRY HAVING A KID AND THE TIME JUMP!!! For anyone who has not been following along in the media, the only main actors coming back are: Lana Parilla (Regina), Colin O'Donogue (Hook), and Robert Carlyle (Rumple). Actors definitely not coming back are: Jennifer Morrison (Emma)(might come back for one or two episodes), Jared Gilmore (Henry), Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow), Josh Dallas (Prince Charming), Emilie de Ravin (Belle), and Rebecca Mader (Zelena). Though because of the time jump (and general magic stuff) the characters could still be on the show played by different actors (like Henry).

If we're jumping forward in time 15-ish years does that mean that Colin O'Donoghue will be playing Old Drunk Hook? That would be hilarious.

>107 norabelle414: I haven't watched it yet - I will be after work today. I'll be back later to dissect. :)

>108 MickyFine: There was an extra hour-long special that aired before the episode which is worth watching (if available) because 1) it is entertaining and 2) it goes over some plots and themes from past seasons which become relevant in the finale.

>109 norabelle414: I don't think it aired on CTV (the Canadian network for OUAT). Guess I'll just have to tough it. ;)

>107 norabelle414: OUaT I'm pleased at the tidy wrap up for all the storylines (although I completely agree with you on Rumple and Belle - ugh!). I was mildly disappointed that in what is likely the last episode we'll see them in together, there wasn't a last Captain Swan kiss. I'm still not sure if I'll watch the new season. Grown up Henry is a nice, if predictable, way to go for the reset/reboot but I'm happy leaving the characters here.

Broadcast TV season wrap-up:

Shows I like that were renewed:
Timeless*
iZombie
Gotham
Once Upon a Time
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Speechless*
The Exorcist*
New Girl
The 100
The Mick*
The Good Place*
This Is Us*
Jane the Virgin
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
The Flash
Arrow
Supergirl
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
The Simpsons

Shows I like that were cancelled:
Frequency*
No Tomorrow*
Making History*
Powerless*
Scream Queens
Pitch*

* = new shows this year

Recommended for summer binge-watching: The Good Place, No Tomorrow, Pitch

March: Book Two by John Lewis

Further graphic novel story of Rep. John Lewis' life during the civil rights movement. This middle volume spans Nashville lunch counter sit-ins in 1960, freedom rides and arrests in 1961, and the March on Washington in 1963.

It drags a little, as middle volumes of trilogies tend to do. This is a very demoralizing section, but there are lots of great quotes and things to think about. I started reading this trilogy in the hopes that I would find inspiration to stand up for what I believe in and protest myself, and just as I am feeling lost and demoralized, John Lewis gives me good advice and lots to ponder. Hopefully when I get to the third volume in a month or two I will be ready for it as well.

This week on Audiobooksync.com :

The theme is uncovering secrets and looking outward -

YA - The Gathering: Shadow House Book 1 by Dan Poblocki, read by Dan Bittner
Required Reading - In Our Backyard: Human Trafficking in America and What We Can Do to Stop It by Nita Belles, read by Nicol Zanzarella

Once again, two books which look fine but miss the mark for me as audiobooks. The YA book is horror, and the description says "Each book in the series is full of creepy photos and objects that tell one story in the book, and unlock exciting, choose-your-own-adventure stories online where kids try to survive the house!" How does that work in audio? Will I have to go to a website? No thanks.
The other book is non-fiction, and I think I'd rather absorb that information as a podcast. Also I am required to take anti-trafficking training for work so I'm familiar with the topic.
Better luck next week!

This week on Audiobooksync.com :

The theme is "when others define you" -

YA - Freakling by Lana Krumwiede, read by Nick Podehl
Required Reading - Boy by Anna Ziegler, read by Sarah Drew, John Getz, Travis Johns, Amy Pietz, Bobby Steggert

The first book, science fiction about a boy who is outcast because he does not have special powers like everyone else in his society, looks interesting enough to download. The second is an audio performance of a play about a boy who is disfigured at birth and subsequently raised as a girl. It looks like an interesting story but not something I'd enjoy as audiobook.

Mockingbird Vol. 2: My Feminist Agenda by Chelsea Cain

Mockingbird issues #6-8:
Bobbi Morse mysteriously gets sent a free ticket for a Nerd Cruise, so duh she's going to go. A vacation is just what she needs to distract from her ex-husband Hawkeye's trial for the murder of The Hulk. There is something nefarious going on on the cruise, of course. The secret source of Bobbi's cruise ticket, who claims he has information to exonerate Hawkeye, ends up dead and no one is around who can solve the murder except Bobbi. She's assisted by that sexy dork Lance Hunter, who is attending a corgi cruise on the same boat.

The New Avengers issues #13-14:
Bobbi Morse is gravely injured in battle, and the Avengers have two choices: watch her die or inject her with a version of the Infinity Formula, which will make her immortal but could have disastrous side-effects.

Aside from the obvious differences in representation of women, these two art and writing styles could not possibly be more different. Mockingbird is bright and colorful and funny. It's full of sight-gags and background jokes and silly infographics. Every character's face is clear and unique. Here's page 3, note the diverse and detailed background characters (they are nerds in cosplay of course), pro-Clint Barton paraphernalia, and how freaking gorgeous Bobbi looks:


The New Avengers is everything that kept me away from comics for most of my life. It looks like terrible video game CGI. All of the faces are half or all in shadow, the men's bodies are all weird muscle shadow, and the women are all boob. Because no one's face is visible their costumes (which they are always wearing) are the only way to tell who anyone is. Here's page 3, boobs-mcgee in the pink shirt is supposed to be Jessica Jones:


I'm giving this volume five stars anyway, though, because Chelsea Cain, Kate Niemczyk, Rachelle Rosenberg, etc. deserve ten stars.

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

In 1950s England, Detective Alan Grant is on bed-rest with a broken leg, and his friends suggest that he alleviate his boredom by trying to solve a purely intellectual mystery: did Richard III really have his two young nephews, known as the Princes in the Tower, executed? Detective Grant enlists the help of a bored American researcher to do all the dirty work, while he spends hours thinking through the information in a detective-y way.

This book was very much not for me. I've read enough about Richard III (mostly written well after this novel) that none of it is much of a revelation. A lot of Detective Grant's ideas come to him through intuition and looking at Richard III's face in a portrait, which irks me. He's very disdainful of historians and says mean things about them, while he himself is sending a researcher to read first-hand accounts and bring him back facts that he can connect to come to a conclusion. How is that any different? It reminded me a bit of the current anti-science, anti-expert rhetoric.

The writing of the book was fine though, and I did like the twist at the very end when they find out plenty of other people have already come to the same conclusion, because that's what I had been thinking the whole time.

>116 norabelle414: Argh, that annoys me so much! Why couldn't they have let what was obviously a really great start to a standalone series just be, and not ruin it?

>118 PawsforThought: Well, they had to add SOMETHING or the volume would only have been 75 pages. The New Avengers story does fit into the Mockingbird story well, because Mockingbird, Vol 1: I Can Explain mentions that Mockingbird has taken a variation of the Infinity Formula, but it doesn't go into detail on what the circumstances were. But I wouldn't have objected to a non-Mockingbird story that had a similar tone, instead.

>119 norabelle414: Well, the best thing would have been to have the authors be allowed to keep writing the story they'd started on.

>120 PawsforThought: Indeed, but that ship had sailed well before the issues were put into this volume.

>121 norabelle414: I'm getting worked up about a book I haven't even read. It's just so frustrating when something seems so promising.

>116 norabelle414: My biggest question is: is this Bobbi the Bobbi that was in Agents of SHIELD for a while?

>123 MickyFine: Absolutely! Her relationship with Lance Hunter is a little different; she was never married to him he's just a frequently-shirtless British guy that she has sexual chemistry with. The TV show merged her relationship with ex-husband Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and her relationship with Lance Hunter into one person (presumably so they wouldn't have to mention her in Hawkeye's movies and vice versa). But other than that she's the same snarky, ass-kicking Bobbi!

You would LOVE this series. It reads more like a fun webcomic than a boring overly-dramatic superhero graphic novel.

>124 norabelle414: Huh. I might have to add it to The List given your glowing review.

This week on Audiobooksync.com :

The theme is Beauty and the Beast -

YA - Beast by Donna Jo Napoli, read by Robert Ramirez (available in US, Canada & Open Market)
Required Reading - Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay, read by Julia Whelan (available US only)

Two retellings of Beauty and the Beast. I can't tell which is supposed to be the YA book and which is supposed to be "required reading", but I doubt it matters. The first book is set in Persia and told from the Beast's point of view. The second is set in a fantasy world and tells the story from both points of view. Robert Ramirez is a good narrator, and I don't think I've listened to Julia Whelan before but she has a good reputation. I'm downloading both.

Hi Nora! It's too bad you already knew the big reveal of Never Let Me Go, although I think there were hints throughout so it wasn't quite as big for the alert reader. I think if I'd known in advance rather than worked out the puzzle it wouldn't have been as good.

>126 norabelle414: Let me know how you like those. I'm super fond of Beauty and the Beast in many forms so I might track them down in print if they're any good.

>127 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! It was hard for me to tell how much I had actually been spoiled. It seemed to me that there were many hints about the kids being clones for organ-farming purposes from the very beginning. However, I was totally surprised about the very end, when the kids learned that they were the exception to the rule and that most clones are kept in terrible conditions. So I'm not sure.

>128 MickyFine: Don't wait on me because it'll probably take a very long time for me to get to them ;-)

This week on Audiobooksync.com :

The theme is "crossing the line -

YA - Plus One by Elizabeth Fama, read by Julia Whelan (presumably available everywhere)
non-YA - If I Run by Terri Blackstock, read by Nan Gurley (presumably available everywhere)

In "Plus One", the world is divided into people who are awake during the day and people who are awake at night, until a young woman defies the rules in order to see her baby niece. Sounds like typical modern YA, but good enough to download since it's free. The second book, "If I Run", is a thriller about both a woman on the run from corrupt cops and the veteran hired by the police to find her. It sounds decent if you like police thrillers. But be warned - the plot summary says you have to read the second book in the series to find out what happens.

I recently purchased The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (because I was tired of being so far down on the library waiting list) and The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery (because, uh, I wanted it)

I'm about halfway through The Hate U Give. It's excellent, as expected. I also have Hild by Nicola Griffith checked out from the library, but I don't know if I'll actually read it.

What graphic novel should I read next: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 1 or Ms. Marvel, Volume 1?

>131 norabelle414: The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness is on the list for greatest book titles ever. Also, sounds interesting (I love octopodes) - putting it on the wishlist.

Please tell me you did my old-DC heart proud and took the day off, went to a bar on Capital Hill, and got morning tipsy listening to Comey's testimony? Please?

>133 katiekrug: Heck no I don't want to hang out with those people! I am watching on my phone under my desk at work like a good introvert.

DISAPPOINTED!

I looked for a bar opening early around here for it but nada. Watched anyway :)

>131 norabelle414: I've heard nothing but love for Ms. Marvel so I vote for that one.

>131 norabelle414: I haven't read either so can't help you choose. But I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on them (especially Ms. Marvel because I've had my eye on that one since it was first published.

It recently occurred to me that it might be difficult from my thread to immediately tell how much I liked a book, and that I really like seeing other people's ratings of books with their review on their thread. So I'm going to start adding my rating at the bottom of each review. And here are the ratings of the books I've read so far this year:

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel - 4.5
March, Book One by John Lewis - 4.5
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - 3
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink - 4.5
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson - 4.5
Scalped, Vol 1: Indian Territory - 3.5
Octavia E. Bulter's Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy - 4.5
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde - 4.5
Sabriel by Garth Nix - 4
The Walking Dead, Vol 27: The Whisperer War by Robert Kirkman - 5
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - 4.5
Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play - 3
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor - 4.5
Camp So-and-So by Mary McCoy - 5
March, Book 2 by John Lewis - 4
Mockingbird, Vol 2: My Feminist Agenda by Chelsea Cain- 5
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - 3

I was going to ask you for your thoughts on the first new episode of Orphan Black and then I remembered you don't get the US channel for it. :(

Looks like you enjoyed Station Eleven as much as I did!

>139 MickyFine: Keep this on the down-low but my cable provider switched to a new on-demand system and they haven't turned off some channels for non-subscribers so I can watch BBC America shows 1 or 2 days after they air. For now. So I can watch Orphan Black, but not live.

>140 ChelleBearss: I did! It suffered a little for me because my expectations were SO HIGH but I did enjoy it a lot.

Wasn't Never Let Me Go great? It's been a few years since I read it, but I think I'm with you on the last scene of the book. I thought it meant what you thought it meant, but I wasn't sure either. I probably need to read some sort of analysis on the web that explains that part - or perhaps Ishiguro just meant the ending to keep us guessing?

>142 rretzler: It gave me a lot to think about! I think if we both independently came to the conclusion that Kathy finds Hailsham in Norfolk at the end, then that's probably a valid reading.

>141 norabelle414: Ooooh. I watch almost nothing live, even though I could. I just PVR everything. Speaking of, sexy vicar starting this weekend! Whoot!

This week on Audiobooksync.com :

The theme is "American roots, American branches"* -

YA - The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, read by Kyla Garcia (U.S. and Canada)
Classic - The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois, read by Rodney Gardiner (presumably available everywhere)

The Red Umbrella is historical fiction about a teen girl who flees Communist Cuba for the U.S. in 1961. The Souls of Black Folk is the classic collection of essays about the lives of African-Americans post-Civil War and sociology. Both of these look great and I can't wait to listen to them!
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*The weekly email also stated that the theme was "Juneteenth", which is a holiday commemorating the emancipation of slaves in the American south on June 19, 1865, but I don't see what that has to do with the first book...

A couple days ago I opened up Hild, which is 546 pages, to start reading. I saw that the text is teeny tiny, and I promptly closed it again. That's not going to happen. So I checked out Her Royal Spyness and The Royal We from the library instead for some lighter fare.

I also started All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor, a kids book written in the 1950s about a Jewish family of with 5 girls living in New York at the start of the 20th century. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, for some reason, and thought I would pick it up for a reread.

I'm also still reading Ashes to Fire, a very good epic fantasy.

>146 norabelle414: Glad to hear you've got some enjoyable reads either underway or in the offing. Have a great weekend, Nora!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

16-year-old Starr lives a divided life. By day she attends a rich private school, where she is one of two black students in her grade. After school she lives in a poor but close-knit urban neighborhood, dominated by rival gangs, and works in her father's convenience store. She keeps her two lives separate, because it's just easier that way. But then Starr and her neighbor/childhood friend Khalil are pulled over by a police officer and Khalil is shot and killed while trying to reassure Starr that everything will be okay. Starr is the only witness, and it takes great bravery to sit in a room with two other police officers and tell them what their colleague did, and later to testify in front of a jury. Will there be justice for Khalil? This is the second friend she's lost to gun violence in her short life and now it seems like maybe keeping her two lives separate isn't the easier way. Starr has to decide - who is she going to be? What is she going to do? Who is going to be by her side?

The subject matter is tough, but essential, and thankfully the book is extremely readable. There are so many fascinating perspectives here: Starr's uncle is a black police officer in the same precinct. Starr's family is technically well-off enough to move to a different neighborhood, but should they? Starr's father used to be in a gang but got out when he went to prison for 3 years when Starr was young, and he still feels guilt about leaving his family for that long. Starr really likes her white boyfriend, but doesn't know if he'll ever be able to truly understand her. Starr is a wonderfully realistic character, and her life is one almost never seen in print before. This book is perfectly written, very important, and good exercise for your empathy muscles. Highly recommended for literally absolutely everyone.

Rating: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ (5/5)

Books I have checked out from the library right now:

Hild by Nicola Griffith - return without reading
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey - return without reading
The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan - almost finished
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen - started
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Also currently reading:
Ashes to Fire by Emily B. Martin
All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

>148 norabelle414: I'm glad you liked it!

>150 _Zoe_: It's weird to say it was enjoyable, but it really just felt good to read

>148 norabelle414: Excellent review, Nora. Also yay for Carry On. I was looking at my bookshelves the other day and contemplating a re-read of Fangirl.

>152 MickyFine: A little birdie (i.e. twitter) told me that Witch Please is going to have an episode about Carry On, which is what bumped it up my list. And also many parts of The Royal We reminded me of Fangirl.

>153 norabelle414: I haven't listened to the new episode of Witch Please yet. I can usually squeeze West Wing Weekly into a normal weeknight but an hour and a half of Witch Please is tougher. Maybe this weekend.

Ms. Marvel, Vol 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson

16-year-old Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American living a normal life with her family in Jersey City, NJ. She loves her parents, but they are very overprotective. One night she sneaks out to go to a party with her classmates and on her way home she walks through an eerie mist. Suddenly, she has powers! Just like her childhood hero, Captain Marvel. What kind of powers are they? She's not yet sure.

This is very much an origin story, so not much happens and there's probably nothing I could spoil if I wanted to. But it's a very good origin story, and you really get to know who Kamala is and understand her. I loved reading about Kamala's home life and her friends. I was a little disappointed that she took up the mantle of an already established superhero (Captain Marvel, previously known as Ms. Marvel) instead of being something new. Hopefully she will get to differentiate herself in subsequent books. I love how unapologetically Muslim Kamala and her family are, and how each character has a slightly different relationship with their faith and expresses it differently. Like real people! Imagine that! Kamala is tempted by bacon, and sneaks out of the house, but that doesn't make her less Muslim than anyone else.

I liked the art, though not as much as Mockingbird. (I also like the cover art better than the inside art which was a tad disappointing.) All the characters have distinctive faces so you never wonder who anyone is. And some of them have very cool hair! The backgrounds can be a little watercolor-y but that's certainly better than all black. There are also lots of Easter eggs in the backgrounds, like food brand names and store signage. Here's page 3:


Definitely recommended. I was a little disappointed in the plot but only because I wanted more. I'll be continuing in the series.

Rating: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ♥ (4.5/5)

Ok, I have now listened to the newest episode of Witch, Please and it is so wonderful to have them back.

>155 norabelle414: One day I will tackle this one. One day.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

American Rebecca Porter definitely did not take a semester abroad at Oxford because she wanted to fall in love with the prince of England. But she did. And she quickly learned that if she was going to be with him, all her other wants and needs would go out the window. She has zero privacy from paparazzi and vicious bloggers. His family hates her (except for his hot younger brother). And after she has a falling out with her twin sister, Rebecca doesn't have anyone she can trust and confide in. Is she doing the right thing? Is all of this worth it?

This is a very fun read, and I read all 450 pages in two sittings. The subject matter is a bit fluffy but the book is very well written, with complex and sympathetic characters. (Bea is my favorite.) But there's some meaning here as well. The book has a lot of relevant things to say about the royal family's relationship with the media, in a way that is similar to the play King Charles III. There was the tiniest bit of character stuff that annoyed me: I have zero sympathy for Lacey. If she didn't like living in Bex's shadow, why didn't she go off and live her own life instead of just tagging around behind her sister? The comparisons between Lacey and Freddie don't hold water, because Lacey is free to leave (unlike Freddie) and Lacey has only had to be in her sister's shadow since Bex started dating Nick, while Freddie has been in his brother's shadow since the moment he was born. But it reads so quickly that it's easy to gloss over a small annoyance or two.

The ending of this book was hard to pull off, but I liked it a LOT. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something fun and absorbing to read.

Rating: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ♥ (4.5/5)

>157 norabelle414: Glad to see you had an enjoyable fluffy read.

This week on Audiobooksync.com :

The theme is "Young and Powerful"* -

YA - The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner and Other Stories by Terry Pratchett, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt (Available everywhere except UK)
Required Reading - The Witches: Salem 1692 by Stacy Schiff, read by Eliza Foss (presumably available everywhere)

Two fantastic books this week (though they really missed the mark with the theme - see below)! The first book is a collection of very early stories written by Terry Pratchett, of Discworld fame, when he was a teenager, but not published until after his death. The Witches: Salem 1692 is non-fiction about the reality of the Salem witch trials, and the author has previously won a Pulitzer Prize for her book about Cleopatra. Great stuff! Both of these have already been on my radar for awhile.
__________________________________________________​

*We have to talk about this theme, guys. I can kind of understand "Young and Powerful", since the collection of stories was written by Terry Pratchett as a teen, and the Salem witch trials were greatly influenced by teenage girls. However, according to both the email and the text message for this week, the theme was "Pride", as in LGBT Pride month. Just....no. Even if there are LGBT characters in each of these books (I don't know if there are), there are a gazillion better books out there for a "Pride" theme. How hard would it be to just have the theme for this week be "witches"????

>159 norabelle414: You're right about the theme. "Witches" seems like a better description. And why would they change away from "Pride?" Did they get pressure from right wing groups?

That said, I really want to read the Stacy Schiff book, though I've heard it's not as good as Cleopatra.

>160 The_Hibernator: They have always had two different wordings for the weekly theme, one for the email & text message notice and one for the discussion in the blog post. I have no idea why, but it's not limited to just this week. There was a similar issue last week in >145 norabelle414:, where the email & text theme was "Juneteenth", which is only relevant to one of the books, but the blog theme was "American Roots, American Branches" which fits the books very nicely.

I would think if they were receiving negative feedback about "pride" it would be the other way around, where the email & text message being sent out to everyone would not mention pride but the blog post (which you don't have to see in order to download the books) would be about pride.

Update: Audiobook Sync tweeted: "If you subscribe to #audiobooksync17 texts or emails, you may receive one today titled "Pride". The connection to The Witches ...is there but NOT explicitly clear w/out full listening to the title. We regret disappointments this subtlety may cause."

I thought that might be the case but I still think they could have done better.

_______________________________________

Currently checked out from the library:
Her Royal Spyness - started
Carry On - halfway done
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Also currently reading:
Ashes to Fire
All-of-a-Kind Family

On deck:
Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book One
The Soul of an Octopus
??

>162 norabelle414:

"If you subscribe to #audiobooksync17 texts or emails, you may receive one today titled "Pride". The connection to The Witches ...is there but NOT explicitly clear w/out full listening to the title. We regret disappointments this subtlety may cause."

That seems cowardly. They didn't want to promote anything with obvious LGBT themes, but wanted to capitalize on Pride anyway? Feh.

My guess would be that there's a "witch hunt" connection between ways of controlling women - call powerful women witches in the seventeenth century, call them lesbians in the twentieth, or threaten to do either to keep them from being too unconventional. While that connection is reasonable enough it doesn't mean you get to claim something about literal witch hunts has anything to do with Pride. Seems like rainbow-washing to me, while making sure not to *actually* have queer content.

>163 lorax: I have not read the book but I have previously read some articles about the connection between historical accusations of witchcraft and women trying to have their own male-free spaces (whether lesbian or platonic). Either way, only having one of the books with a possible connection to Pride is not enough to constitute a "theme"

There have been other LGBT books offered this year, and there have been LGBT weekly themes in the past. But they have been very lazy about picking themes for awhile, and I hope they get enough pushback about this one that they rethink things.

Starting a new thread for the new month! Link below.