Book review - Stitching Snow

Title: Stitching Snow
Author: R.C. Lewis
Genre: fantasy/sci-fi
Similar books: Cinder by Marissa Meyer
                    The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Rating:

Loads of fun, a little dark

Summary: It has been eight years since Essie left home. Years that she spent hiding out on Thanda, a harsh mining planet, fixing mining drones, fighting in cage matches, and doing her best to avoid anything having to do with Windsong. All those years of avoidance come to an end when the mysterious Dane crashes in a field near Essie's mining colony on Thanda. Dane is keeping a lot of secrets and will admit only that he is hunting for a very special treasure. Essie just wants him gone. She's starting to get too comfortable with Dane and fears she'll let slip her own massive secrets. But increasing strife on Windsong means that neither of them will be able to stay away for long.
My opinion: This is a very different twist on the story of Snow White. Many of the more familiar elements are present (the dwarfs as robots, the poisoned apple as a necklace, the guard meant to kill her, that sort of thing) Lewis does not hold too strictly to the original plot, choosing instead to allow the plot to develop naturally, only touching back to the original story occasionally. Lewis has said in interviews that she centered her plot around a particular question: Why doesn't Snow White approach her father and those loyal to him for protection from the step-mother. While some versions of the tale kill the king early on, this book takes a darker, more predatory approach. this means that the primary conflict for Essie is one of personal safety versus social duty. While this book takes place on another planet, which can be distancing, Lewis does a decent job of world-building in such a way that we remain engrossed in the story, explaining politics and power structure of a planetary system without losing dramatic tension. If you like unique takes on familiar stories you'll enjoy this one.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin

Is there anything most kids love better than pizza? We can all relate to the way Rubin waxes eloquent about this king of foods. And Dan Salmieri's illustrations are spot on. His raccoon is equal parts pathetic and mischievous. And the plot is downright silly, with a broom enthusiast's club and broom bots with laser-beam eyes. Each page has loads of fun details to enjoy. The humor has just enough layering for old and young alike to enjoy.

WWW Wednesdays

What are you currently reading?
Every Breath by Ellie Marney
When Rachel Watts moved to Melbourne and became friends with James Mycroft she never expected that the friendship would get her involved in a mystery. A late night visit to the Melbourne Zoo uncovers the body of Homeless Dave, an eccentric friend of Mycroft's who has been violently murdered. Mycroft's personal connection with the victim paired with his obsession with forensics draws them into the investigation. His extreme focus and lack of boundaries, paired with Rachel's willingness to follow him, gets them into trouble.
My fondness for retellings is no secret, so when I came across this modern reimagined Sherlock Holmes I knew I had to read it. It's a little darker than other recent retellings but I'm enjoying it so far, particularly the interplay between Mycroft and Watts.
 
What did you recently finish reading?
Centaur Rising by Jane Yolen
The night of the Perseid meteor shower Arianne spotted a strange ball of light in the fields around her family horse farm. A year later their pony gives birth to a baby centaur. The family must decide how to keep this strange creature safe without losing their farm. How long can they keep such a miraculous and magical being a secret? Especially when Arianne's little brother, a victim of Thalidomide related birth defects, forms a fast friendship with the centaur and their horse boarding clients are growing suspicious.
In tone, if not in plot, this book puts me in mind of A Wrinkle in Time. The magic and commonplace combine nicely, the presence of the centaur serving to bring to light the problems and issues their family is not facing. Yolen's writing is nearly flawless as always, her characters nuanced and likeable. 
 
What do you think you will read next?
Press Play by Eric Devine
A tale of self-esteem, hazing, and the choice to report an incident when it might cost everything you've been working toward. Not my usual choice of book but I've been trying read outside of my comfort zone.

Book review - Jackaby

Title: Jackaby
Author: William Ritter
Genre: fantasy/mystery
Similar books: The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
                     The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Rating:

All the best of Doctor Who and Sherlock combined into one cool mystery

Summary: Tired of the restrained life her parents had planned for her, Abigail Rook ran away from her school in search of adventure. Now she's landed in the United States and in desperate need of work. Her desperation leads her to Jackaby, an odd detective with an eye for the supernatural. Abigail hires on as Jackaby's assistant and finds herself in the middle of a serial murder investigation. The police are certain a regular man is to blame. Jackaby suspects something darker.
My opinion: When I saw this one described as "Doctor Who meets Sherlock" I was both thrilled and a more than a little bit skeptical. I'm a fan of both shows and don't really go for pale imitations. I needn't have been concerned. Jackaby is the perfect combination of the Doctor and Sherlock Holmes: self-assured, self-important, quirky, awkward, funny. He plots things out six steps in advance and is knowledgeable in everything yet misses the commonplace. The pacing was excellent, the twists sufficiently surprising. Abigail makes a good foil to Jackaby, keeping him grounded and giving the reader a more relatable character. Combining mystery, fantasy creatures, and a touch of romance, this novel has a little bit of something for everyone.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Customized shoes

A friend this summer asked me to customize some canvas sneakers for her. At last, I've finished them. I painted the canvas with simple acrylic paint and seal-coated them with Mod Podge. I'm pretty pleased with the results.

 

Book review - BZRK Apocalypse

Warning! If you have not read BZRK or BZRK Reloaded this review contains spoilers.

Title: BZRK Apocalypse
Author: Michael Grant
Genre: Sci-fi
Similar books: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
                     Feed by M.T. Anderson
Rating:

Set your jaw - this isn't an easy ride

Summary: When we last saw the members of BZRK they were triumphant - sort of. They had successfully cured Vincent of his biot-loss insanity - mostly. They stopped Burnofsky's attempt to destroy humanity - at a great cost. And the Armstrong twins suffered a great blow with the loss of their Doll Ship. Sadie and Noah (Plath and Keats) were happy to follow Lear's instruction to lay low. It isn't long, though, before they are drawn back into the thick of things, beginning when their ship is bombed. It's time for the final confrontation between biots and nanobots in their fight for humanity. And for Lear, and his motivations, to at last be revealed.
My opinion: From the first page of BZRK I've been fascinated by this trilogy. You'll never look at the human body the same after having it described as a landscape in detail as Grant does in this series. The battle between biot and nannobot is fantastic, with biots more responsive but leaving their operator far more vulnerable to crippling attack. This final volume has the expected fights, both "in the meat" and up in the macro. it also takes us much deeper into motivations: of the BZRK members, Bug Man, Burnofsky, and particularly of the elusive Lear. It blurs the lines between good and evil then points out that blurriness. Readers, be prepared. This final book is far more grim and gruesome than the prior novels, though not without purpose. As the title suggests, this is a world on the edge of total collapse so things are going to get bloody before the somber, yet satisfying, conclusion.
More information: BZRK Apocalypse releases October 14.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
 

Books on Screen

Jumanji

Growing up, I read Jumanji (and the other Chris VanAllsburg books) frequently, probably because of the complexity of the illustrations and the pure imagination of the plot. The movie takes that plot and adds new dimensions: the rivalry between Judy and Peter and Alan Parrish trapped within the game. This lends a lot more drama and tension to the movie than was present in the original book. Still, the general plot and the spirit of the book remain as well as some of the key illustrations (like the lion roaring and the chimps on the refrigerator).