Gleanings by Neal Shusterman

 As a general rule, I don't tend to get involved in series before they are finished. It doesn't matter if it's books or television media I just seem to have boundless patience for deferring even starting a series. Of course, once I have started a series I had finishing the first installment and then waiting for then next to come out. I guess I'm impatient by nature and I hate waiting for the next book, next episode, next season, or whatever. 

Occasionally though, I find myself starting a series without realizing it. A good first book in a series can feel like an excellent standalone novel. That's what happened to me with the Arc of the Scythe series. I read Scythe and fell in love. It was the first Shusterman novel I'd read, so I perpetuated my usual pattern and hit the used bookstores to gather up all the Shusterman books I could find. I gathered up close to 20 books on that first run and discovered that there was a sequel to Scythe called Thunderhead. Oh gawd. 

I bought it, of course. I bought it new because it was all of about a month old. I read it and then I waited for over a year for the last book in the series, Toll, to come out. It was excruciating. And because I started about four of my students on the series, they were breathlessly waiting too. It was hard. There was deep psychological trauma. But really, I've spent some time thinking about my book buying patterns and how they don't really help support the writers that I love, at least not directly. It's something to think on.

I thought I was done with the series after Toll. However, I was walking through the school library and I spotted a new volume, Gleanings. Technically it's not a new novel, it's a collection of short stories and novellas set in the Arc of the Scythe world. It actually seems to be a new trend for authors of successful YA series to do this and I haven't decided yet what I think of it.

In this case though, I really liked it. All the stories were excellent and it really made me want to reread the series. It has been long enough since I read the trilogy that I had to really dig to remember some of the references.

All the stories were, as I already said, excellent, but I particularly enjoyed four of them: "Never Work with Animals",  "The Mortal Canvas", "The Persistence of Memory", and "A Dark Curtain Rises." Each of these stories explores aspects of the world that may or may not be directly related to the events of the main series. "A Dark Curtain Rises," for example, occurs well after the trilogy closes and revived one of my favorite characters. 

One of the main themes running through the trilogy has to do with corruption. Shusterman seems to have really spent some time exploring the adage that "absolute power corrupts absolutely." He does a great job of introducing it into series and hinting that the excesses of some of the scythes were common place without really enumerating them. "Never Work with Animals," followed one of these corrupt scythes and resolved in a very amusing manner.

"The Persistence of Memory" has some similar qualities but involves a strange sort of competition between two scythes with very different interpretations of their job. (Their job being the only source of death in a deathless society.) This conflict comes to a head when the niece of one scythe is marked for gleaning by the other.

 Of the four "The Mortal Canvas" was probably my favorite. This one takes place before way before the events of the trilogy and it involves an art teacher and her class. The art teacher is old enough that she was born before human life could be infinitely extended. Her art class is visited by a scythe who proposes an art contest between the students. There was something incredible about this one. Somehow, Shusterman managed to encapsulate something about how our mortality defines us. 

All in all, a great read. I think I will have to find time to reread the whole series

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Over a decade ago, Stephen King wrote an article about how important cover design is to promoting books. It wasn't a new point, even at the time, but it was the first time I really considered the point. It's true that I tend to make certain assumptions based on cover illustration and that's what happened to Where the Crawdads Sing. 

When it was first published, the cover of Where the Crawdads Sing was this sort of pastel landscape of a marsh with a lot of oranges, pinks, and soft yellows. Whether or not it's fair or not, I assumed it was some kind of mainstream woman's melodrama which is just not my jam. I had plenty of time to contemplate this opinion because at least five of my students were reading the thing so I spent 20 minutes a day staring at the cover while they read. 

I didn't really think about it. I just resolved not to read it in a passive kind of way.

When Netflix turned it into a movie, the book had a resurgence and a couple of my book friends both read it and raved about it. This is a pair who have great taste in books and I generally listen to them when they say I'll like something, so I gave it a shot.

Obviously, my first impression was wrong and had a faulty basis. This is a great book.

Where the Crawdads Sing is actually more of a Southern Gothic. Southern Gothic was a mode more prevalent in the early 19th century, but it features characters with irrational, horrific, or transgressive thoughts or impulses; exaggerated or grotesque charactes mixed with dark humor and an angsty sense of alienation. All this, but written in a realistic style.

Kya is the youngest of five. Her mother abandoned them and her father is abusive. Eventually, Kya is left alone in their shack in the marsh at the tender age of 7 or so. The people of Barkley Cove called her the marsh girl and for the most part left her on her own. She grew up alone and wild. So when the town start Chase Anderws is found dead, the Marsh Girl is the obvious target of suspicion.

The story moves fluidly back and forth through the timeline exploring the experiences and thoughts of Kya.

The beauty of the writing, is that despite the oddity of the circumstances, the matter of fact tone makes it all just flow into the narrative. It isn't until later reflection that the oddness of the characters and situations become apparent.

I really enjoyed it.

Now that I've read the book, I guess I'll have to go watch the movie

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

 This here is the third book in the Flavia de Luce series. I've always had a weird relationship with this series. The first time I read book 1 (Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie), I didn't like it much. In fact I think I got rid of my copy. I didn't hate it, it just didn't call to me. Even then I recognized it as a solidly built mystery. I just find the protagonist detective (Flavia) irritating.

Much, much later on I was looking for a mystery option for my mystery class and it was the book that my students chose. So, that means I had to read it at least two more times - once to prep for the class and once with the kids. Maybe it was some sort of literary Stockholm syndrome but I actually liked it tremendously more on the second and third reads. Even so, I'm not sure I would have continued reading the series if three other things hadn't happened. 

First, I have a wonderfully attentive husband. When he realized I was enjoying my reread, he searched out and bought the other 9 books in the series for me.  Which is cool and it came in handy because . . . second, one of my students was so taken with the series that he asked me for the next book in the series and then the next and so forth. This was a kid who didn't really read fiction recreationally, so it was kind of a big deal. 

Still heady from that success, I realized that my mother-in-law might like the series. . . and she did. This then lead to my father and father-in-law giving the series a whirl. So I own the other 9 books but they were so in demand by people that I turned on to the series that I lost momentum. By the time I read book 2, I remembered why my first try on book 1 was so lukewarm.  

Despite that, I had every intention of reading them except the perversity of the randomized system left them unpicked on my lists for months. That is until last month when book 3 finally came up on the randomizer.

It really felt to me that Bradley hit his stride with book three. Flavia is a little more self aware and a lot less irritating. Additionally, the town of Bishop's Lacey really starts to come alive and feel like a cohesive backdrop instead of a murky pool of side characters.

I've always suspected that the challenge of writing a mystery series is in keeping the relationships between the core characters from going stale. I can't tell if having a prepubescent protagonist would make that easier or harder, but it does create a lot of friction because if you are a kid, just about everyone thinks they know better.

That tension keeps the action moving on the mystery while Flavia makes as many mistakes as she does discoveries.

It's safe to say this is my favorite of the three I've read so far and I'm excited to work in book 4.

The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

 Bacigalupi writes climate change thrillers. Well, maybe not "thrillers" but I'm not sure what else to call them. In both of his books that I've read, environmental pressure creates a hellish landscape populated with desperate people. While there are likable people, the tension of his books are watching them encounter people pushed to extreme acts by circumstances while the environment itself is potentially deadly. Bacigalupi has no problems killing off the likable characters.

The Water Knife is set around the Colorado River basin and posits that the area is becoming drier. Water rights are a matter of life or death and the states have closed their boarders to protect their interests. It's not anarchy, but it's a Western U.S. teetering on the edge. The rich and powerful live in arcology projects that are ultra water efficient and luxurious. Most of the population can't afford to live in them and there aren't enough vacancies to go around. Since the Colorado River is the only major source of water for the region, several states vie for control.

The story is told from three points of view. Angel is a water knife which is a kind of spy/mercenary/assassin who works for the Southern Nevada Water Authority based out of Las Vegas. He's a reformed gang member out of Mexico and he protects the interests of his employer. While he's certainly jaded, he's not necessarily a horrible person but he can be ruthless in doing his job. Lucy is a journalist from back east who is covering the slow collapse and desiccation of Phoenix which suffers from more than the usual amount of anarchy and a crime syndicate that squeezes the population while they build and archology of their own. Maria is a young Texas migrant who is struggling to survive on the fringes. She dreams of scraping together enough money to escape north. 

While the set up was very slow going, once the three characters are in the same place and interacting, this becomes a fast paced read. It's thought-provoking and grim but I found the ending somewhat unfulfilling. I had the same problem with Windup Girl which is the other Bacigalupi book I've read. Because of the gritty nature of the setting, it makes some sense that endings don't fully resolve and leave the surviving characters in tenuous positions. It fits with the theme, but I find I don't much like them personally.

Issues with the endings notwithstanding, Bacigalupi is an excellent writer and he uses his stories to make some very good points about human nature and the realities of climate change. I will continue to read his books, but I don't think I would or could ever reread one.

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab

 I've always found it challenging to write about sequels. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that I end up feeling like they are necessarily cryptic. On the one hand, it's a book in its own right, but on the other, it's difficult to write anything at all about the plot without giving away events that occur in the resolution of the previous book. I hate spoilers, and I'd hate to dish out spoilers to an unsuspecting populace.

Of course that's not really something I should worry about overmuch. 

So, if you are interested in the series... stop now. You've been warned. It's on you. Really.

Vengeful is a sequel to Vicious which I reviewed January 10th. At the end of Vicious, Eli is captured and buried in a special facility that contains people with abilities. Victor has been killed and resurrected by Sydney. It's not long before Victor realizes that something is wrong with his power and it's getting worse. 

In the meantime, Marcella is a mob wife and when her husband tries to kill her, her brush with death leaves her with a new and powerful ability to finally force the city to take notice of her and her abilities. 

All the characters (mostly) are back from Vicious with higher stakes and more intrigue. The world continues to develop. Clearly if the government (or at least a powerful subset of it) become aware of super powered  people, the first thing they are going to do is set up a super shadowy agency to contain them. So we have a secret agency and we have a lot of machinations working in both directions while the agency dances around Victor and Victor dances around them in a weird equilibrium. 

Marcella is a complicating factor that drives the action.

I enjoyed the book but it was a slower read. While there was plenty of tension, it felt more dilute somehow and Marcella was almost a cartoon of an evil mastermind which works for the series but didn't quite tie together as closely as the first book. I really hope that Schwab continues the series. It's a nifty idea and plenty of room for it to expand.

February List

January was a bit of a slow month for reading but it's been an interesting entry into my new system. I only managed to read 6 books. The new exercise regime and the writing are all pressing on time I used to use for reading. While I anticipated this, I didn't really know how much reading I achieved during those times. Additionally, it turns out that a lot of the books that have been waiting forever for me to get around to. . . are really slow reads. Also, even if I end up discarding a book, it takes a couple days to determine that. On the other hand, I'm really enjoying/looking forward to all half-forgotten titles. So, I moved the TBR into the urgent list and replaced all the read books with random picks for next month. 

Apparently I went through a phase where I was collecting the first couple books in long series. A strangely disproportionate number of my random picks in the last two months are parts of series which caused the list to balloon. Additionally, I ended the month in the middle of five books which I intend to finish. Now that I've consistently been exercising, it's time to work in the writing. It's possible that first thing in the morning simply won't work. I'll try evenings for a while and see how that goes.

Goal for February - write and and blast through the urgent list!

1. Complete Short Stories by Isaac Asimov (class prep)
1. Volume 1
2. Volume 2
2. Lidia's Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich (RP)
3. Flavia de Luce Series by Alan Bradley
1. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows
2. Speaking from Among the Bones
3. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
4. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust
5. Thrice the Brindled Cat Hath Mew'd
6. The Grave's a Fine and Private Place
7. The Golden Tresses of the Dead
4. How to Bake Pi by Eugenia Cheng (RP)
5. The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova (Christmas Gift)
6. The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey
1. Abaddon's Gate
2. Cibola Burn
3. Nemesis Games
4. Babylon's Ashes
5. Persepolis Rising
6. Tiamat's Wrath
7. Leviathan Falls
7. Dr. Bloodmoney by Philip K. Dick (RP)
8. Desert Flower by Earis Dirie (RP)
9. Serge Storms Series by Tim Dorsey (RP)
1. Florida Roadkill
2. Hammerhead Ranch Motel
3. Orange Crush
4. Triggerfish Twist
5. The Stingray Shuffle
6. Cadillac Beach
7. Torpedo Juice
8. The Big Bamboo
9. Hurricane Punch
10. Atomic Lobster
11. Nuclear Jellyfish
12. Gator A-Go-Go
13. Electric Barracuda
14. When Elves Attack
15. Pineapple Grenade
16. The Riptide Ultra-Glide
17. Tiger Shrimp Tango
18. Shark Skin Suite
19. Coconut Cowboy
20. Clownfish Blues
21. The Pope of Palm Beach
22. No Sunscreen for the Dead
23. Naked Came the Florida Man
24. Tropic of Stupid
25. Mermaid Confidential
26. The Maltese Iguana
10. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (classic)
11. Count Zero by William Gibson (Dropped - feel a little bad about it actually. I'm good with getting rid of it but Ryan is deciding whether to give it a try)
12. Symphony of Ages Series by Elizabeth Haydon (RP)
1. Rhapsody: Child of Blood
2. Prophecy: Child of Earth
3. Destiny: Child of the Sky
13. Sleeping Beauty: Back to Reality by Jenni James (Dropped - I have issues with the writing style as well as some of the content. I'll be excising this one)
14. The Mindwar Trilogy by Andrew Klavan
1. Mindwar
2. Hostage Run
3. Game Over
15. Trader by Charles de Lint (RP)
16. Jason Bourne Series by Robert Ludlum (RP)
1. The Bourne Identity
2. The Bourne Supremacy
3. The Bourne Ultimatum
17. The Casket of Time by Andri Snaer Magnason (RP)
18. The Color of Water by James McBride (RP)
19. Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (Finished 2/28/2023)
20. Emily the Strange Series by Rob Reger (RP)
1. The Lost Days
2. Stranger and Stranger
3. Dark Times
4. Piece of Mind
21. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin (RP)
22. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Series by Louise Penny
1. The Cruelest Month
2. A Rule Against Murder
3. The Brutal Telling
4. Bury Your Dead
5. A Trick of the Light
6. The Beautiful Mystery
7. How the Light Gets In
8. The Long Way Home
23. The Bridgerton Prequels by Julia Quinn
1. Because of Miss Bridgerton
2. The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband
3. The Other Miss Bridgerton
4. First Come Scandal
24. Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins (RP)
25. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
26. Cooking Light: Mad Delicious by Keith Schroeder (RP)
27. The Settlement Cook Book (Finished 2/25/2023)
28. White Teeth by Zadie Smith (RP)
29. Battle Royale: The Novel by Koushun Takami Translated by Yuji Oniki
30. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (RP)

The Urgent List:

1. The Ghost Bride: A Novel by Yangsze Choo (Finished 2/14/2023)
2. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (borrowed from Dad)
3. Kill All Happies by Rachel Cohn (YA, Library)
4. Circuit of Heaven by Dennis Danvers (Ryan Pick, because he really wants me to read it)
5. The Mystery of Henri Pick by David Foenkinos & Sam Taylor(TBR)
6. Themis Files Trilogy by Sylvain Neuvel (TBR)
1. Sleeping Giants (Finished 2/15/ 2022)
2. Waking Gods
3. Only Human
7. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (Finished 2/2/2023)
8. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (YA, Library)
9. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (borrowed from Stephanie)
10. Gleanings by Neil Shusterman (Finished 2/9/2023)
11. War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (finished 2/28/2023)
12. Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventure's Guide by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras (NF, finishing it up)