Hugo Awards Announced

This weekend, at LonCon 2014, the Hugo Awards were announced and there are some excellent, excellent winners and I believe that much of the SF community is coming away with some good feelings about the whole thing. 

For me specifically, one of the most interesting aspects of this year’s awards was the short list for the best novel, specifically the debut Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie and the massive Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan '(with the help of Brandon Sanderson for the final 3 novels). As best as I can tell, these were the two leading titles and people would have only been surprised if neither of them won. Despite both being favorites, there are some decidedly noteworthy differences. While AJ has been sweeping the awards this year, snagging a Nebula, an Arthur C Clarke award, and the British Science Fiction Association, the WoT series has been around since 1990, was only recently finished and weighing in at 3.5 million words, does a good job of defining epic fantasy. 

In fact, some would argue that it is, the very dentition epic fantasy and very likely trots out just about every trope of the genre at least once. Don't get me wrong, the books are still good and have a strong enough following that the series even has its own Convention. In fact, there was some worry in the community that there would be a glut of voters signing up solely to vote for the WoT series and would disregard the other categories (analysis shows that this didn't happen). Finally, Sanderson had to be brought in to finish the series. A feat that is difficult to manage and that he pulled off wonderfully. 

Conversely, Leckie's debut gives a unique perspective of a revenge tale mixed with an excellent exploration of self and gender. In my opinion, there are two things that make AJ simply excellent. First, you get thrown right into the deep end. There is no winding road to learn about the protagonist and their toils and tribulations. In fact, the first few chapters make for some mental chewing and revisiting just to stay afloat. Then, when you start to feel you have a handle on things and you think you are getting the hang of the depths, Leckie starts hurling waves at you. Second, the protagonist has difficulty telling gender and defaults to "she" and "her". It might not seem like much, but to have all of the characters resist even this level of categorization drastically changes how the entire story is read.

In realizing that this post is in danger of rambling on eve more, I will end with this, go out and read both of these stories, they are both excellent for some very diverse reasons. 

Completing the Mortal Instruments Series: My own personal book hangover

If you happen to follow AfterWords, our Facebook book chat on Monday nights, you will know there has been an ongoing conversation between a few participants and myself concerning the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. At one point, I confessed that I took my daughter to see the movie adaptation of Mortal instruments: City of Bones which piqued by interest about the YA series. I’m all for a good romp through any young adult book involving otherworldly creatures and epic battles, so the idea of angelic shadowhunters, demons, vampires, and werewolves running amok in New York City sounded pretty appealing.  Because the movie had just come out, I had to painstakingly wait my turn for the first three books, but I was pleasantly surprised. The writing was really good, the storyline had few flaws (as long as you were up for the topic), and the characters evoked emotion—not saying they were all likeable, but they definitely drew the reader in. All good, right? No, this is where the conversation took a turn…

I felt like the third book in the series, City of Glass, wrapped up nicely and left me feeling satisfied (e.g. I could stop with a ‘happily ever after’ and move on). The ending  paired with several reviews stating that the rest of the books, at the time only City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls, were awful and just ruined everything made me put the series down for months (and months). Then, someone explained to me that the six book series was actually intended to be two trilogies (which explained the change in perspective and style) and another person insisted that it only got better.  I gave in and picked up book four, City of Fallen Angels, about two weeks ago….I’m now finished with book six, City of Heavenly Fire. And this brings me to the topic I really wanted to discuss: the book hangover.

Even though I finished the series more than two days ago, I’m finding it difficult to let go of the characters and move on to new things. I know this is a common sensation among readers-- the author pulls you in, creates a new world, makes you care about people, then just ends it all like you’ll get over it. It’s more like a bad, unwanted break-up than a hangover. I have read some amazing adult fiction series that have left me feeling this way (I'm looking at you Adriana Trigiani!), but for some reason YA authors seem to wield this skill like a weapon. It is impressive that they can hook people to the point where you refer to the characters like you actually know them. Especially when it escalates and your child, who normally plays along with you, starts to get embarrassed by how involved you've become with the storyline. Even though I giggle at the term “fangirl” and the phrases that stem from it, I’d have to say that I now qualify. 
Sigh, I’ll miss you Clary, Jace, Simon, Isabelle, Alec, Magnus…ok, I’ll stop.

(…Jocelyn, Luke, Maia, Jordan, Bat, Lily, Emma, Julian, Brother Zachariah, and even you Sebastian.)

And did I mention these books are funny?! Clare’s carefully placed sarcasm was laced throughout and actually had me laughing out loud at several points. If you’re feeling otherworldly and you enjoy young adult fiction, I recommend you take the leap. If you need to talk when it ends, join us on AfterWords—several of us will know what you are going through :)

Non-Fiction That Reads Like Fiction

A lot of fiction readers won't read non-fiction and vice versa.  Personally, I enjoy both--probably because I love history--but I really just like a good story.
There are several authors that you can always count on to write a good non-fiction book.  Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods), Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers), and Simon Winchester (Krakatoa) are sure bets for keeping you entertained and teaching you something at the same time.
For all of you fiction-only readers who want to broaden your horizons, then try one of the following.  These are great stories that just happen to be true.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt--murder mystery in Savannah.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote--one of the first and best true crime books.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann--search for a mysterious city in the jungles of the Amazon.

The Aviators by Winston Groom--three legendary aviators and their lives.

Seabiscuit: an American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand--small racehorse that brought hope during the Great Depression.
Unbroken: a World War II Story of Survival... by Laura Hillenbrand--runner, soldier, POW, and inspirational survivor.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer--young man's tragic journey.
Into Thin Air: a Personal Account... by Jon Krakauer--disaster on Mt. Everest.

Shadow Divers: The True Adventures... by Robert Kurson--scuba divers risk everything to solve a WWII mystery.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness... by Erik Larson--a serial killer on the loose at the 1893 Word's Fair.

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt--memoir of an Irish lad with a hard childhood.

Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard--President Garfield's life, murder, and legacy.

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi--an inside look at women's lives in Revolutionary Iran.

Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Ghost Soldiers: the Epic Account... by Hampton Sides--a daring mission behind enemy lines to rescue American POWs in the Philippines.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot--is it legal or ethical to take a person's tissue without their consent or compensation?

Wild by Cheryl Strayed--a woman alone, hiking the Pacific Coast Trail.

My favorites are Unbroken and Into Thin Air.  What are some of yours?

Fantasy, gangsters, and confidence games, oh my!

In general, I am a fan of books and movies about cons and conmen. Con stories that are well done are deeply satisfying to me with their twists and turns and convoluted plot lines. Fantasy is another preferred genre, though I find as the years progress I am shying away from the high, Tolkien-esque fantasy, with its clearly defined good and bad, in favor of a grittier fantasy where such lines are blurred. Enter The Lies of Locke Lamora, the first book of the Gentlemen Bastards Series.

Set in the city of Camorr, a dark, fantastical version of renaissance Venice, so full of tricksters, conmen and thieves, it’s amazing anyone has any money at all. Our protagonist, one Locke Lamora, is an orphan, who manages to survive in this inhospitable city through his own guile and some excellent training. The story alternates between the past and the present. We see that in the past, Locke was trained by a con artist and thief-maker extraordinaire, who is the head of the Gentleman Bastards. In the present, Lock is the head of the Gentlemen Bastards and his ambitious little group are going against the rules of the underworld and robbing the aristocracy blind. But other forces are at play and are poised to upset all of Locke's carefully constructed plans.

This is a story of power-plays and naked ambition, of confidence games and swordfights, of petty thieves and ravenous sharks. This is an entertaining romp of a gritty anti-hero with more unique, profanity laced exclamations than I have read in quite some time. If you like you fantasy with a rough edge, then I would certainly give this book a try.

The Imposter Bride

I recently read The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler. This is a book that I might not have picked up on my own, but I was pleasantly surprised by the novel. 

In a nutshell, the book is about a Jewish woman that survives WWII, steals another woman’s identity for an opportunity to step into an arranged marriage in Canada, and then later runs away from her new family when she is not able to cope with her memories. However, that is all fairly clear in the first few chapters. What the book is really about, when you get into the meat of the story, is familial relationships. No one really holds the imposter, Lily, accountable because of the war and what people did to survive, but her brief intrusion into this close knit family creates new responsibilities for unlikely people. 
During the brief marriage, Lily has a daughter, Ruth. Being motherless is something that haunts Ruth growing up, but it isn't until she begins receiving rocks from various places in Canada that her interest in finding and knowing her mother is piqued. Growing up over many years we are with Ruth as she questions her grandmothers, scopes out phone books, and goes through her father's things for clues. It isn't until she's a mother herself that she makes the leap to seriously track down and meet Lily.

A good read that doesn't disappoint. I think that most lovers of historical fiction and women’s literature would also enjoy the book. You get a fully developed story that begins and ends with the imposter bride, but at the center is a coming-of-age story and the history of a family. 

July's In the Queue

Find some great summer reads in July's In the Queue!

Fiction

Last To Know by Elizabeth Adler

Evening Lake is an idyllic, peaceful getaway with a close-knit community of families. Detective Harry Jordan sees his lake home as a respite from solving crimes on the streets of Boston...until crime comes to Evening Lake.

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

Emily Shepard's life was never easy. It only gets worse after her alcoholic father is suspected of causing a large nuclear meltdown. this is a heartbreaking story of loss, adventure and the search for friendship.

The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo

Everyone in Painters Mill knows the Hochstetler farm is haunted, but only a few remember the terrible secrets lost in the muted whispers of time. Now death is stalking them, seemingly from the grave.

The Book of Life by Deborah E. Harkness

After traveling through the Shadow of Night, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies.

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Magic, Adventure, mystery and romance combine in this epic debut novel in which a young princess must reclaim her dead mother's throne, learn to be a ruler--and defeat the Red Queen who is determined to destroy her.

The Night Searchers by Marcia Muller

When new clients come to Sharon McCone with a story of devil worshippers performing human sacrifices in San Francisco, the detective is skeptical. When she discovers one of them is involved with the Night Searchers, she looks into what he and the other participants are up to after dark.

Act of War: A Thriller by Brad Thor

After a CIA agent mysteriously dies overseas and his top asset surfaces with a startling and terrifying claim that the United States faces an imminent attack. The new President turns to covert counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath to carry out two of the most dangerous operations in the country's history.

New Books By Bestselling Authors

The Sweet Spot: A Novel by Stephanie Evanovich

Fast Track by Julie Garwood

Driving with The Top Down by Elizabeth M. Harbison

Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag

Love Letters: A Rose Harbor Novel by Debbie Macomber

Private Down Under by James Patterson and Michael White

Long Way Home by Louise Penny

Her Last Whisper by Karen Robards

Non-Fiction

The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee by Marja Mills

This is the story of Mills' friendship with the Lee sisters. It is a testament to the great intelligence, sharp wit, and tremendous storytelling power of these two women.

Diary Of A Mad Diva by Joan Rivers

An intimate and enriching glimpse into the mind of the most illuminating woman-of-letters of her generation and the provocative exploration of an age in which Joan has lived on and on and on.

Have a Nice Guilt Trip by Lisa Scottoline

Everyone's favorite mother-daughter writing duo is back with a new collection of warm and witty stories that will strike a chord with every woman.

Federal Bureau of Physics

Graphic novels are a fascinating medium when they go beyond superhero vs supervillan (though there are some excellent storylines of this type). In addition to all the usual literary elements of plot, character development and so on, you have the added difficulty of visual elements, line, color, perspective, etc. To me, FBP, written by Simon Oliver and inked by Robbi Rodriguez and Nathan Fox, does a wonderfully entertaining job blending these two mediums in such a way that each supports and emphasizes the other.

We are all used to hearing about disasters and even living through them, from smaller such as localized flooding to bigger such as hurricanes. We are even familiar with federal agencies that deal with such events. But what if the disasters took a completely different form, say of the quantum variety? Enter the Federal Bureau of Physics and one Adam Hardy. The FBP gets called in on localized gravity failures, time dilations, quantum tornadoes, and bubbleverses in a world where the rules of physics are bending and breaking before our very eyes.  Special Agent Hardy is in on the front lines of these localized breakdowns, but has considerably larger issues than welding shut a gravity rift. The FBP is being pressured with threats of privatization, an old partner with an alternative agenda, a new partner that is standoffish and mysterious, and a conspiracy that started with his father, one of the founders in the field and one of the first casualties to it.

The artwork is bold and excellent, making use of a wild array of colors and styles that emphasize the chaos in a world where physics can just cease to work. Small details of the characters seem to vary more than conditions allow and the perspective angles seem designed to upset any sense of up and down.  

In all, this was a brilliant story, starting off with a classic conspiracy and ending with a classic bank heist, each with done with the panache possible in a universe where the laws of nature can take breaks. Fans of Chew, Hinterkind, East of West, and Saga should definitely enjoy this story. Be warned, this is only the first in the series and the others have yet to be published, so you may have to wait to see what happens Agent Hardy and the FBP after vol 1.