November, 2012

        I am participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) throughout November.  I will still be reading books, but probably will not have the chance to update the website during November. 

"Stranded" by Bishop, Francis and Gardner         

This book features three novellas centered in a sci-fi universe, all connected with the theme of Stranded.  Bishop's book has "Restorers" living on space ships.  Their entire purpose is to create balanced and self-sustaining ecosystems on planets that they will never experience.  Gardner's book begins with a girl who finds herself waking up on a space station full of robots.    Francis' book begins with a genetically engineered centauress who is captured by a group of refugees.          

I highly enjoyed Bishop and Gardner's stories.  I found Francis' tale a bit harder to get into.  Overall, this collection features some fascinating work.  I would love to read a series set in Bishop's world (of course she is my favorite author).  I think sci-fi fans will highly enjoy this book and its interesting ideas.

"Rav Hisda's Daughter, Book 1:  Apprentice" by Maggie Anton          

Born into a rabbinic family, Hisdadukh is equally interested in learning the teachings of Judaism and the more hidden teachings of a sorceress.  Married at a young age, she falls in love with her husband, only to lose him shortly after.  Deciding to travel, she finds herself trapped in a foreign land when war breaks out.

     I found this book to be fascinating.  I know little about Jewish culture and teachings and I found this to be a great blend of storytelling and history.  I greatly appreciated the dictionary at the back of the book and found myself wishing that more words had been defined.  Anton has definitely done her research and is a wonderful writer.  Overall, highly recommended.

"Psycho USA" by Harold Schechter         

This is a collection of stories about unknown serial killers.  Organized by date, it follows American history and development.  I found the stories interesting, but grew tired of the author's writing style.  The author has a habit of introducing the stories by talking about other killers, and then diverting to someone else.  I found this a bit annoying and at times, misleading.  Overall, not a bad book, but not one I would pick up and read again.

"Alternity" by Mari Mancusi        

Skye finds herself torn away from her college experience when she wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world.  Told that she is Mariah, a rebel leader, she is confused and only wants to get back home.  On Terra, she finds out that Mariah has a boyfriend named Dawn, a man she quickly falls in love with.  Struggling with what is real, who she is, Skye must decide, does she return to earth, or devote herself to the rebels.          

Overall, I thought this book was well written.  The plot was fascinating, and it unraveled at a good pace.  The characters were interesting, and Skye's growth and development were fun to read.  I definitely want to read more by this author.  Highly recommended.

"Stories from Jonestown" by Leigh Fondakowski         

Much has been written about Jonestown's final days in 1978.  However, few have tracked down the survivors to find out how Jonestown affected their lives.  Leigh has compiled numerous interviews on the subject, humanizing Jonestown's victims and survivors.           

At times I found this book to be repetitive.  It did not seem to be organized in any manner, other than relating Leigh's journey to interview these people.  The stories were often similar, making it hard to remember the individual players.  Instead of trying to include as many stories as possible, I wish the author had focused on showing divergent viewpoints.  Overall, not a bad book, just one that could have used editing.

"Lost Cat" by Caroline Paul         

After an injury, Tibby ran away from home for five weeks.  In an effort to find where her cat had gone, Caroline bought a GPS, a Kitty Camera, talked to a psychic, and sent out fliers.          

This book made me realize that I'm not a crazy cat lady.  What a relief, lol.  The book was a bit childish for my tastes, but overall not too bad.  I see teenagers or pre-teens loving this book and the author's writing style.