The Resisters

Thoughts by Gish Jen, Knopf 2021 (orig 2020), 305 pages

Challenge: TOB

Genre/Theme: Contemporary Lit, Dystopia, Baseball, YA?

Type/Source: Tradeback/Indie bookstore

What It’s About: A former college professor and his public aid attorney wife have a baby girl who turns out is a baseball prodigy. They live on ‘the wrong side of the tracks’ in this dystopian former United States that have separated people into two groups of have and have not: the “Netted” and the “Surplus”; the land-dwellers and the swamp or boat people.

The narrator is the father, a tinkerer and baseball coach – not because he knows and loves baseball, but to nurture the gifts that his daughter obviously has and wants to develop. His lawyer wife takes on cases against the government proving that actions of the ‘system’ are detrimental to the Surplus population and violation of “FREEDOM”. The Surplus freedom is limited, let’s say. They are constantly under surveillance, receive no educational opportunities, yet are expected to be grateful because they get housing and free food. But is the food tainted?

Daughter grows up, is recruited to join the Netted’s baseball team, is just about as perfect and lovable and talented as she can be – and I loved it!

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. I think it was the tone; rather upbeat for a family that is abused more than most for their efforts to “fight the man”. I loved the family dynamic. I loved Grant’s mother’s little pithy sayings. (Grant is the father/narrator), I loved Gwen being so badass and trusting and nice and still a badass. Her mother, too. She was all business yet had a big heart.

I’ve read that some thought this heavy-handed and the characters flat. But I loved it. Very readable, laugh out loud funny sometimes, drama and excitement – especially if you love baseball. Also, I do want to say, that I think the reader who is not a fan of sports could still find much to enjoy in this. I also want to suggest that if you are a reader who sees words, then the audiobook may not be your best avenue. I needed to SEE the words; Ondi and Auntie sound too much alike and the portmanteau words that describe much of “AutoAmerica” (Automatic America) just didn’t register until I saw the letters.

Rating: Five slices of pie. OH! This book has pie!!! LOTS of pie. I hope Instagrammer Pie and Book Phenom @PieLadyBooks reads this one because I would love to see what she would create.

But later she said that she pictured Eleanor sitting at that big table with the apple pie untouched in front of her, and everything came together.”

and why doesn’t my end quote copyright show up in the tiny print I want??

Copyright © 2007-2022. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

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Tender is the Flesh

Thoughts by Augustina Bazterrica, Scribner 2020, 211 pages

Translated from the Spanish by Sarah Moses

Challenge: TOB

Genre/Theme: Contemporary Lit, South American Lit, Dystopia, Cannabalism

Type/Source: Tradeback/Indie bookstore

What It’s About: What does cannibalism look like? This book offers imagery and description, a generation after the Transition.

Our protagonist Marcos is skilled at what he does – problem solve. But he hates his job, hates his life, hates the world. He has suffered personal loss – his son has died of what I assume was SIDS, his wife has left — taken her grief home to her mother, his father suffers from dementia in a nursing home. Marcos must work to afford his father’s care and protection.

His job is right hand man to the chief of one of the best of the “special” meat processing plants – humans bred and slaughtered specifically to be a food source. The book explores the language, the conspiracy theories, the adjustment of society to the eradication of diseased animals (or so says the government) to embracing the new protein delicacies, the fear of birds, the need for Scavengers to be a balancing cog in the food chain. It’s all quite revolting.

Thoughts: The author skillfully brings the reader into a sympathy with Marcos; we share his disgust and feelings of being trapped. Will he, can he escape?

Rating: Three slices of pie. Four possibly for story-build but … I just can’t say I enjoyed this one. No pie mentioned.

SO. Possible Spoilers? The other night, we watched an episode of The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, Beyond the Pale, and I reflected on what happens at the end of this book in relation to that story; of a soldier in England who sends for his English wife who cannot have children of her own. The social and cultural entanglements and justifications, surrogate motherhood, acceptance and scandal, bias and deep-seated beliefs concerning classism and race. That’s all, just got me thinking.

and why doesn’t my end quote copyright show up in the tiny print I want??

The Down Days

Thoughts by Ilze Hugo, 2020, 368 pages

Challenge: TOB

Genre/Theme: Contemporary Lit, South African Lit, Pandemic Dystopia

Type/Source: eBook/Kindle (on sale)

What It’s About: Based on a what-if expounded from a true tale of a unique contagion, this story follows a ragtag group of characters through parallel search and rescues, backdropped against growing angst and society mayhem.

The virus’ main symptom is laughter. Yes, you die from laughing. Thus, laughter is outlawed and comedy clubs are driven underground. This may sound flippant and I don’t mean to be – I think the author did a fabulous job balancing the ridiculous with the sensitivity of this being a deathly disease. She had a deft touch in style and tone. The more I try to describe what I liked about this book, the more I appreciate it.

I was immediately captured by the characters and was instantly rooting for them. Well most of them; I’m not on team-Piper but she comes around, too. Dare I say that this is “fun pandemic adventure?” Sure, people are dying and the government is attempting super control what with scheduled medical check stations around town and requiring a medpass. I enjoyed the mystery and the capers, the race against time, the icky ooey descriptions and especially the words that were explained in the glossary.

Rating: Four slices of pie:

He’s also got fingers in other pies, not always steak and kidney.

and why doesn’t my end quote copyright show up in the tiny print I want??

who to create space?

All the Birds in the Sky

Thoughts by Charlie Jane Anders, Recorded Books 2016, 12 hrs 36 minutes

Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan

Challenge: TOB of course!

Genre: Fantasy, I suppose

Type/Source: Audiobook / Audible

 Why I read this now: That is an excellent question, my dear blog, but I’m afraid I have no answer other than that fateful temptress FATE.

MOTIVATION for READING: The TOB. Are you that dense already that you haven’t figured out that all the reading I am doing right now is due to my near nutty obsession with all things Roosterified?!  Plus, it sounded good and it was one of the shortest audiobooks I looked at, methinks. I’m getting a bit annoyed that The Nix is so long and that is the book I want to read next and I feel like I’ve lost some of the reading-mojo I celebrated that last few weeks of December and into January but what is one to do?!

WHAT’s it ABOUT: Are you sitting down? This might take a while and I’m likely to meander.

We meet our protags, Patricia and Laurence, while they are in Middle School. Yep, but of course, our dear protags are the smartest and most picked on and are the misunderstood twerps they usually are in literature but since we readers usually are (or were) ALSO, — we were that kid in Middle School, we love them. Amirite?  cliche?!  too much? no, of course not. We LOVE them. Adorbs.

Did I show you a pic yet of the author?  I want to be her. And my only claim to that devoutness is based on this photo and her blurb on goodreads. Never heard of her before I looked at these two things until I finished this book.

Where was I?

Patricia has had birds and trees talk to her. Laurence is a computer geek; has invented a machine that he hopes will someday have sentience and has also created a 2 second forward-jump time machine. Cool, right?

Unfortunately, before these kidlets realize these things might be valuable to their future, a BAD MAN has figured it out and tries to STOP them!!!!  Blah blah blah – too many spoilers already – they meet again much later, bad dystopia shit happens in the future (um, redundancy, Care!), two or three factions who are all trying to preserve the good things conflict — da da da, true love, machines vs nature!!!

Or IS it… ?

You’ve figured out that Patricia is NATURE and Laurence is MACHINES?!  oh god. I just gave it all away . (I’m counting on the fact that most of you wouldn’t have read this far already.)

Not the most unfaulty of plot lines or execution but BIG FUN.

WHAT’s GOOD: aw, I’m really liking it more in this post writing, I am!

What’s NOT so good: But it dragged just a touch. Just a little bit. I also think it changed tone and/or … something. Momentum? went Middle School nerdy to adultness drag? maybe….

FINAL THOUGHTS:  I liked it. I really did. It’s fun. It’s creative. It’s got a lot of the FUN STUFF: Pro-environment, “the world is fucked”, romance, geeky machine futuristic gadgetry, etc.  I CANNOT WAIT to SEE WHAT THIS GOES AGAINST in the Tournament…. 

RATING: Four slices of pie. and it had some REALLY good pie mentions.

Tell me I SOLD you on this!  I did, right?!

“Ankle crossed over thigh and lips pursed, as if he just finished a slice of the tartest Meyer Lemon pie.”

Also, WORM PIE. As in diversion from letting it slip about solving the gravity problem to create a stable … WORM PIE!

Copyright © 2007-2017. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Short Vignette Reviews

Short Vignette Reviews so I Can Be Redundant in a Title

Book Reviews in Few Words!!

The Fireman  could have been called The Nurse. I thought all the cultural references were fun and it had some terrific comic moments but Nurse Harper was at times a dweeb, or naive and stubborn when she shouldn’t have been but I admired her ability to always be true.  The story did feature some really good guys, some really evil dudes, some cute kids and a very interesting premise – the ‘spore’ that once caught, would or could make you burst into flame.  I will refer you to the Twitter hashtag #FiremanAlong to find any reviews that have trickled in so far. We really did have a good time. A huge thank you shout out to all the participants – it was fun. I was excited to encounter a few pie mentions.  (I listened to AND read my purchased from an indie bookstore hardback.)

13 Little Blue Envelopes  by Maureen Johnson. I liked it and I was inclined to like it because I really enjoyed the author’s presentation at the Book Blogger’s Convention in 2010. I suspended all belief and didn’t even realize it until I read a few reviews after – like really, WHERE WERE HER PARENTS!?  I get it, but I didn’t even think it while reading. Too funny. So the issue is a dead aunt sends her 17 yo niece all over the world in order to help her find herself. The kid has a sensible head on her shoulders and is pretty bright so it all works out. I think it was a fun escapist YA book. I want to read the sequel. (Kindle)

The In-Between Hour  by Barbara Claypole White.  I really enjoyed The Perfect Son; I enjoyed meeting BCW and hearing her speak. I bought a few books at the author event and I have purchased a few since. Finally, I’m getting around to reading her books and I bet that I read more books by her soon and in a shorter time frame than I’ve ever read any other author’s books. There is something about her books that I really like and I am trying to figure out what exactly. She has a fearless quality, a wonderful personality unfolding process, great pacing and the occasionally deep thought. She also mentions pie. Fans of Lisa Genova and Liane Moriarity would like Barbara Claypole White. (Kindle)

 

 

Copyright © 2007-2016. Care’s Books and Pie aka Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

ReadAlong of The Fireman #FiremanAlong in July

Spontaneous combustion of book thoughts on Twitter resulted in eruption of readalong endorsements for The Fireman by Joe Hill. It’s the hot book right now.

The hardback is 768 pages; the audiobook is 22 hours and 20 minutes.

Starts in July.

Thus giving you all time to secure a copy? I hereby declare myself as Captain of this Fire Squad with Heather as Co-Command – due to locale (when can we do lunch?) and the fact she just read it but wants to reread it on audio. Ti and Melissa and Jen and Trish are the Platoon Leaders. Michelle and Katie are Advisors (they already read the book!). ALL ARE WELCOME OF COURSE. Just wanted to mention those who participated in the twitter-firestorm about it.

Follow hashtag #FireManAlong

I have also made a list so you can find the entire crew on Twitter. If you want to join us and please do, all are welcome, please let me know your Twitter handle in a comment and/or link to a post or whatever. I might also want your snail mail address if you want correspondence (send me an email or private msg) — I am not promising anything. This is a quick and informal readalong. It’s a “Join in if you want to, no rules” kind of readalong…

I thought better of looking for a hot firefighter person to display, because 1) sexist inclinations and assumptions on my part sad to say, and 2) no legal usage rights to the ones that appealed to me the most. You know how to do your own search so feel free to act on that. OR, to see professionals of all genders, you can click on THIS SEARCH. Not sure what the most ethical of decisions it is to provide a link to all images in a search result with parameter ‘not filtered by license’. Probably not ‘best’. Oh well.

I will be audiobooking. Here’s the link to Audible:                     The bookcover at the top of this post links to goodreads and the Twitter convo links to the hashtag #FiremanAlong. I’ll make a Twitter List, too, so feel free to subscribe to it.

And please remember to tweet any pie references!!!

 

Copyright © 2007-2016. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

The Year of the Flood

Thoughts  The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood,

Satisfies the WATER category of the What’s in a Name 8 Challenge.

Unfortunately, though I do remember Jimmy in the tree and the blue people, I do not recall much of Oryx and Crake and what all happened in MaddAddam Part 1. Not that my memory failure contributed in any way to my enjoyment (or not) of this Part 2 but I wish I could remember more.

I do find Atwood’s books amazing. She is a very talented and creative story teller.

“…the reason you can’t really imagine yourself being dead was that as soon as you say, ‘I’ll be dead,’ you’ve said the word I, and so you’re still alive inside the sentence. And that’s how people got the idea of the immortality of the soul – it was a consequence of grammar.”  

My advice? if you like Atwood and you like dystopia and you have yet to read this 3 book series, just gather them in and read in a timely manner.

If you haven’t read either Book 1 or Book 2, there is probably no reason I can think of to say that you MUST read O&C first. You could likely read Flood first and then read O&C and enjoy it just as much.

It’s all about different perspectives on how humans are destroying the Earth. And yet she always manages to bring out the best in people just as she describes how awful we humans can be.

I don’t recall how O&C ended but this one was abrupt and unsatisfying. I didn’t throw it across the room or anything but I did groan in slight frustration. Now I should go get MaddAddam, Book 3 and get it over with but I won’t. I know myself too well.

I just get distracted by all the books I already have and want to read and before I know it, years will have flown by. On the other hand, I bet the library might actually have this…

 

Rating:  Four slices of turnip pie. I actually made a turnip/parsnip/potato pie last month and it was quite tasty. Not pretty to look at though.

 

 

Copyright © 2007-2015. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

 

Ready Player One

Thoughts  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Audible 2012, Narrated by Wil Wheaton, 15.75 hours

WHY I READ THIS:  This book, a science fiction geeky gamer story, has been getting so many good reviews that I just had to find out why. The audiobook and the narrator have especially received high marks for entertainment. I want to read more science fiction. I like and dislike Mr. Wheaton and I had a free credit to burn at Audible.

I also wonder how it ended up on so many of my favorite bloggers favorites lists! How did this book  get into the hands (and ears?) of so many people I respect? It must have had a helluva genius marketing team because I can only think that they are many other books equally as geeky and fun that have not hit the bonanza like this one.

CARE’s QUICK What’s It ABOUT:  Set in the future where world energy resources are lacking and every person seems to be mostly living an escapist  life online in a virtual world, this tells of an amazingly rich and eccentric designer of this virtual world who has set up an elaborate ‘game’ to hunt for the rights to his fortune after his death. Our hero, Wade narrates this quest.  We meet his friends, learn of his adventures both in the ‘real’ world and the online world, and gasp & squeal & shout for his success. Wait – no, not success but his very survival!!

It’s fun.

Wheaton does a great job. The book has so many 80s references that I was able to relive some fun memories of my own days in that decade. I didn’t play that many computer games when I was a teen but this was still fun. Pacing and plot are terrific, world building wonderful and I really cheered the characters as they fought the bad guys. Honestly, the scene where two of the people meet IRL after being such good friends for so long online, brought a tear to my eyes. *sniff*

RATING: Four slices of pie. Chess pie; since chess is a game. Ok, that’s lame but I can’t think of any pie references in the book.

The Hunger Games

Thoughts  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Scholastic 2009, 374 pages, first in a series of 3

I was on an unexpected trip out to Western Kansas and my iPad was losing charge so I desperately needed a paperprint BOOK to read. While frantically perusing the shelves at the Midway Chicago airport, trying to recollect the authors names* that I keep saying I want to read, my eyes fell upon The HUNGER GAMES.

“YES!”

Grabbed it, plunked down a $20 bill and ran back to the gate.  I started immediately.    I read after being told to queue up (Southwest style).   I politely smiled and only showed the cover to the gentleman attempting to converse with me, “What are you reading?”  [I suppose I was rude, since I usually love to engage in such conversation and initiate many in this very same manner!]  I kept reading through take-off and only later, upon hearing that beep-tone that we are are free to unhook our seatbelts, did I see others standing up to gather their overhead luggage.  Oh.  We had landed.

It being midnight, I was not up to reading more during the hour drive home.   But I did manage a few more pages before succumbing to sleep.   I was able to finish the next day.

RATING:  four slices of pie.   Peeta could bake me a gorgeous pie, I expect.

Clicking on the book cover above or on this sentence will take you to the goodreads.com synopsis.  I figure I am one of the very few people left in the world who has not read this already and certainly many of you who are frequent visitors here know what this dystopian thriller is about.  If you are not a frequent visitor here and do NOT know about this trilogy, wow!  and welcome.   Clicking on THIS sentence will give you the results of Fyrefly’s book blog review search for this title.

Do I have to read the next book before I can select a Team Peeta or Team Gale?!

HIdeinWhitetoSkipLine

Copyright © 2007-2011. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

The Witch of Hebron

Thoughts   The Witch of Hebron:  A World Made by Hand novel by James Howard Kunstler, Atlantic Monthly Press 2010 UNCORRECTED PROOF, 334 pages

Thank you to Alix of HEETR for sending me this book.      I was hoping I would be ready for a dystopia book since I absolutely loved Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood, but this one didn’t quite work for me.   I realize I was in the middle of a reading slump and perhaps I was only ultra cranky and picky but a few things tripped me up enough that I put the book aside.   I also abandoned The Woman in White and flipped through the beginning pages of A Dog’s Purpose but without succumbing back into any kind of reading-nonslump.    Oh, and I had a new puppy to chase:

HOWEVER…    I want to end this Thoughts-Post (non-review) on a positive note!

My parents came to visit for Thanksgiving so I handed my father this book to read!   He devoured it.   He said it was good.

I asked, “Was it compelling?   Enthralling?”   and he said, “Yes.”    He also gave a quick recap which I failed to jot to paper but something along the lines of ‘dire future possibilities’.

This book is the second in a series but I don’t think it matters if you read the first.   Dad didn’t seem to think it suffered by not having read the first.

SO.  There you have it.

He said to give it THREE SLICES OF PIE.

HIdeinWhitetoSkipLine

Copyright © 2010. Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care from Care’s Online Book Club.  It should not be reproduced without express written permission.