Sunday Post #72 Post Thanksgiving Edition

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. 

We got a little snow yesterday but the sun is out this morning and it's a beautiful day so far. I hope that everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a great day.  Now the Christmas frenzy begins... 

SciFi Month is winding down this weekend, and what a month it's been. Reviews, giveaways, all kinds of fun and it will be missed. I discovered another cool event though- Vintage Science Fiction Month Not-A-Challenge, happening in January. This looks like all kinds of fun, so I will be participating in this (and have already started thinking of which vintage books I want to read). You can check it out here.   





BLOGOSPHERE: 

Oh! The Books had a great discussion for SciFi Month. Is This Real Life? Is This Virtual Reality?

Sara at The Hiding Spot talks about their updated Book of the month program at Brilliant Books.

Review: Star Trek Log Five

Star Trek Log Five  is a novelization of three episodes of the animated series. The Log series was written by Alan Dean Foster and these stories continued the adventures of the original Enterprise crew. The three stories in this volume are a mixed bag. The first, called The Ambergris Element, involves the Enterprise being sent to a water world to investigate seismic anomalies there. Kirk and Spock lead a small group to survey the planet, and are attacked by a monstrous sea creature in the process. They are separated from the group and when they are found, everyone is shocked to discover that Kirk and Spock have been surgically altered- to breathe underwater!

It turns out that Argo is home to an aquatic race and they altered the humans in order to save their lives. Kirk and Spock must find a way to restore themselves, and to do so they will need to enlist the help of Aquan dissidents and retrieve the venom of the creature that attacked them. Not an easy task...

This story was okay, I was interested in the underwater city but there's not much character depth here. A pretty by the numbers story, for the most part. The second tale, Pirates of Orion, was a much better story, short and taut and with more character development. This felt like a true Star Trek episode, with a crisis that must be averted and time running out. Spinning out of the events of the previous story, Spock contracts a disease fatal to Vulcans- and Kirk must obtain a rare drug that is his only hope of survival. But when pirates steal the drug from a freighter rendezvousing with the Enterprise, Kirk must act quickly to get it back and save Spock's life.

The third story was not good at all and I found myself skimming it just to be done. So on balance, even though this is a nice way to refamiliarize oneself with the original crew, there's not a lot here that is compelling. I read this as a kid and picked it up very cheap on Ebay, curious to see how it would hold up, and I was mostly disappointed, although again the middle story is not a bad read. Recommended for anyone curious about the show or a die hard Trekkie, but otherwise I would say pass on it if you're looking for a good Trek read.

Review: Planet of Exile

Planet of Exile is a story of a long lost colony stranded on a planet where seasons last for 15 years, so summer and winter are generational events. As the story opens autumn is quickly giving way to winter, and the world is rapidly changing for the colonists, known as farborns, and the indigenous people, who the colonists have dubbed hilfs (highly intelligent life forms). The colonists have been stranded on this planet for 600 years , and their population is slowly dwindling. Fewer children are born every year, there is a high incidence of miscarriage and over time other colony locations have been overrun or otherwise abandoned.

Against this backdrop we are introduced to Rolery, a hilf girl who is the daughter of a chieftain and a bit of a free spirit. Her people are nomads who have gathered to build a winter city where they can ride out the generational winter. This gathering place happens to be close to the farborn city. Not content with the drudgery of her daily life, Rolery ventures to the city of the farborns and there she encounters Jakob Agat, a leader among the farborns. Rolery and Agat form a connection after Agat saves her life, and as the story progresses they are brought together by mutual desire and the vagaries of fate. Agat needs the help of Rolery's father to bring farborn and hilf together to face their mutual enemy, the barbarian Gaal who migrate south at the onset of every winter. However it is precisely the forbidden attraction between Agat and Rolery that may prove to be the greatest obstacle to cooperation.

The Gaal migration, or Southing, threatens both Landin and the winter city as the sheer numbers of Gaal dwarf anythning previously seen. The Gaal are not the only threat to appear with the winter snows, however... the mysterious snowghouls are not far behind and are feared by everyone, including the Gaal. As mistrust and betrayal threaten to derail their alliance, the only hope for hilf and farborn alike may just be Rolery and Agat.

Planet of Exile is a straightforward story of love and hope in the face of daunting odds. It also explores the themes of acceptance and regret, and the shattering of old prejudices. The viewpoint shifts between Rolery, Agat and her father as they each struggle with the changes winter brings. Planet of Exile is a great science fiction read and at 124 pages is very short as well. It's one of my favorite stories and I thought it held up well on rereading it recently.

One thing I noticed upon re- reading this was the similarities between this story and the Game of Thrones series by George RR Martin. Both stories have seasons that can last a generation, both have an impending winter that could spell doom, the Gaal could perhaps be the wildlings... and the snowghouls are an eerie threat from the north that everyone fears...could GRRM have been influenced by this story? Hard to say, but regardless Planet of Exile is a great read from one of science fictions's most celebrated authors.

Sunday Post #71 Holiday Open House

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. 


This week will also be the last week of SciFi Month and I have a few posts planned. I have some thoughts on Planet of Exile by Ursula LeGuin, a book I reviewed for Knights of the Dinner table magazine several years ago- this is one of my favorite books and I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts for SciFi Month. Stop by and let me know what you think! 





NEW ARRIVALS: 



BLOGOSPHERE FUN: 

Read Me Away has a great post on why she loves science fiction. 

Lola's Reviews talks about her favorite genres. 

What Happens At Christmas

What Happens At Christmas was a delight to read. It's the story of a widowed woman of means, who decides she wants to marry a prince of a tiny country in Europe. She's sure he will propose over the holidays, if only she can show him a proper English Christmas- to do so she hires a troupe of actors to portray her family, as most of them are out of the country, and she doesn't consider them very proper anyway. Her sister Beryl thinks this is a very bad idea, but Camille is determined and the plan goes forward.

The actors are brought in to portray not only Camille's mother and younger sister, but the servants as well. Things get a little more complicated when grayson Elliott shows up- the long lost love of Camille's life. They had been inseparable friends growing up, and on the eve of her marriage to an older man, Grayson had professed his love for her. Camille had not reacted well and Grayson had left, and they haven't seen each other for eleven years. Camille has been widowed in the meantime, and now thinks she wants to marry Nikolai the prince- but when grayson arrives, having acquired his fortune in the intervening years, old wounds are reopened and long dormant feelings are reawakened.

Grayson still loves Camille, and when he realizes the the game that is afoot, he resolves to help in order to earn her trust, and ultimately, her heart- but he has no intention of letting her marry Nikolai. Let the games begin! I don't normally read romances, but this has a romantic comedy feel to it- a comedy of errors that I couldn't stop reading. Camille tries to keep everything running smoothly, managing a troupe of actors while at the same time entertaining Nikolai and trying to figure out what Grayson is up to. Grayson suspects something is not right with the prince, and with Beryl's help he tries to protect Camille while at the same time thwarting her plan. I was laughing throughout the book as events went from one comedic turn to another.

The fun really picks up when Camille's real family shows up and chooses to play roles in the charade as well. An absolute hoot. It does get a bit unrealistic as it goes, as everyone is keeping secrets, and a few times I thought these people just need to talk and get it all out. Wouldn't have been nearly as fun though! This is a masterful story with sparkling dialogue and wry asides, and twists and turns that come at just the right time to keep things interesting. The repartee and dialogue are an absolute highlight, it all flows so smoothly. There is a theme of redemption that runs through all the zaniness, of regrets, longing and atoning for past mistakes- in short, can one have a second chance at love?

I wasn't sure if I would like this book, and was I pleasantly surprised! The dialogue is a joy to read, and it was so fun. A perfect Christmas treat.

Sunday Post #70 It's Snowing!

Hard to believe we're halfway through November already. This has been a quiet week, not much reading done, but I'm kind of at a point where my reading is wide open- not sure what I'll read next. I've got mysteries and holiday reads lined up, but I'd like to read some fantasy as well. So I'll have to see what jumps out at me. Any suggestions?

The holidays are approaching like a freight train and I'm actually thinking of putting holiday lights up early this year, and of course holiday music is in full swing on radio stations. Is it too early? I don't know- the weather's pretty frightful so why not a little holiday cheer?  We had blizzard conditions for a few days this week.

Review: The Secret Zoo

The Secret Zoo is the first in a middle grade series by Bryan Chick. It tells the story of 4 children who discover there is more to their local zoo than meets the eye. Megan is in her treefort one night and sees monkeys on the roofs of surrounding homes. She tells her brother Noah but he doesn't believe her. Shortly after this she disappears. Her brother Noah and their friends Ella and Richie are determined to find her. Their search is fruitless until one night a bird arrives at Noah’s window- a bird with a message. The message tells Noah to go to the zoo where he will find more clues. Once there he receives another message- this time a page from Megan’s journal.

It appears that Megan was investigating some odd occurrences at the zoo. Noah receives several pages from her journal, all from different animals, and he begins to realize this zoo is more than it appears. As the kids investigate the zoo they see some strange goings-on. They have an encounter with a polar bear named Blizzard and continue to receive clues as to Megan's disappearance. The animals seem to watch them and before long they run afoul of zoo security, who waste no time in evicting them.

They soon find there’s another world and a secret society and a wondrous place called the City of Species where humans and animals live together in harmony. The City ofSpecies is a neat place. The descriptions are lush and whimsical, and the author really lets his imagination run wild here (pardon the pun). I particularly liked the Forest of Flight, an immense aviary in the City that holds a multitude of birds of all kinds. The kids flee into theForest and there is a running battle of sorts as the kids and their animal friends Blizzard, Podgy the penguin and a bunch of prairie dogs try to escape a band of overzealous police- monkeys. One of the better sequences in the book.

I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book a great deal, however after everything is explained at the City of Species I started to lose interest. The backstory and the villain were just not compelling for me. There is a battle at the end with mild violence, and some of the later events strain credulity even in a book this whimsical. But overall it's fun and lighthearted.

There’s no shortage of imagination in The Secret Zoo. The book is charming and whimsical, and it reads fast. There’s a lot of humor as well, and the animals who help the kids are adorable. Who wouldn’t want a ferocious polar bear friend? The Secret Zoo is the first in a series. I don't feel compelled to rush out and get the second one, but I may continue with the series at some point. This one is self- contained enough that you can enjoy it as is. It's a great middle grade book.

HoHoHo Readathon Wrap Up

The HoHoHo readathon has come and gone and I'm sorry to see it go. It was a lot of fun reading the posts and doing the challenges, and there was even a Twitter party. A big shout out and kudos to Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Jennifer at Book Shelfery for hosting this. This was my second year doing this readathon and it is a blast. I got through two books and that was pretty good for me with time constraints and work. Even better, I acquired a few other Christmas reads, so I'll spend the next month or so reading those for the holidays. Here's what I read:




This was a spur of the moment buy, I just liked the cover. Does it just say Christmas or what? This is more of a romance than a mystery, so not my usual read, but I enjoyed it.

Sunday Post #69

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. 

The first full week of November is behind us and you can sure tell by the weather- at least around here. It has gotten colder and windy as well- this morning it is raining.  

NaNoWriMo is going well, although after a fast start I've slowed down a bit. I did take time out to revisit a story I wrote last year for the HoHoHo Readathon, and I'll be posting that on Tuesday with minor changes. It's a short little Christmas tale- let me know what you think! 

SciFi Month is in full swing, and so is the HoHoHo Readathon. I'm having a lot of fun with both- I put up a review on Friday for Vitro, which is a fast paced YA thriller that I read earlier in the year, but I wanted to share it again for SciFi Month. Also I reviewed Murder at the Brightwell, a very good mystery This week I've got some Christmas themed reads for the readathon, and I'm trying to decide what to read next. 

Review: Vitro

Vitro by Jessica Khoury is a fast- paced, compelling story about an island with a terrible secret, and the young woman who discovers that secret. The story starts with Sophie Crue in an airport on Guam trying to find a flight to Skin Island. Her mother, a researcher on the island, has sent her an email asking her to come quickly, due to an emergency. Nobody wants to go there however, apparently the island has a bad reputation. After striking out with the local pilots, she runs into Jim Julien, a young pilot who she knows from her childhood days on Guam. Sophie grew up there but hasn't been to Guam in years, since her parents split up and she went to live in Boston with her dad. Her and Jim had been best friends once, but they're older now and have both changed in the intervening years. Jim reluctantly agrees to take Sophie to the island, and that's where the fun begins.

Things go bad quickly, and Sophie and Jim find themselves stranded on the island. Sophie soon discovers a horrifying truth- she has a sister on the island named Lux, but Lux is not just any sister. She has been developed from a test tube embryo by the company her mother works for, but she is not a regular human. And Lux may not be the only one... Sophie must unravel the mystery surrounding the Vitros, her mother and the company behind it all, while at the same time staying alive. No one wants her there, and she and Jim have to survive twists and turns and shocking betrayals

I liked Sophie a lot, she's determined and brave. We get hints of her background and learn just how hard it was for her to grow up not knowing the truth about her mom, and what she does on Skin Island. I liked Jim even more- he seemed like a real person, with real motivations and thoughts. Several times I thought that's exactly how someone might act in that situation. Both characters are very well drawn and believable. The story is told from their alternating perspectives, and this works very well here. It's probably not a spoiler to say there is a romance here- Sophie and Jim have known each other since childhood, and they spend most of the book trying to find each other again- both physically and figuratively- but it did seem like they developed feelings for each other a little fast. Certainly not insta- love, by any means, but they didn't exactly have much time for a courtship. I can accept it though just due to the sheer level of desperation they go through, and the shared history they have. It works.

I have to say something about the writing. The author does a great job evoking a sense of place -as I read I felt like I was in the tropics, with palm trees around, ocean breezes and the silvery moon overhead at night. Her descriptions are at times dripping with tropical heat, creaking bamboo and pounding surf. At the end I felt like I had been on an adventure in the Pacific! Remember that scene in Jurassic Park when they leave the island at the end and they're just exhausted from all the trauma they've been through? That's how this felt for me. That was a great feeling and is one of the reasons I recommend this book so highly. The story has a breakneck pace and I really enjoyed that it took place over just a couple of days. It never slows down and I couldn't stop reading.

We hear several times about a project going on in South America as well- apparently a reference to Jessica's other book. I have not read that but almost certainly will, as I enjoyed this so much. It's nice to have a world with a shadowy organization in the background as the common thread, even though the characters are different. I'm curious to see if she will continue to use this as a background for future novels. 

Excerpt:

"Before she could get back on her feet, Nicholas was on her. She caught him in the stomach with her feet and threw him over her head, then rolled smoothly into a crouch. Nicholas landed heavily, howling at the pain in his arm.
"Whoa," said Sophie, her eyes wide.
"I know, right?" Jim's voice was hard." Talk about teenage mutant ninja blond. Lux, don't let him touch that detonator."

HoHoHo Read-a-thon Starting Post

The HoHoHo Read-a-thon is hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Jennifer at The Book Shelfery. A week of holiday reads, challenges, Twitter chats- and a chance to spread the holiday cheer!

The read-a-thon rules can be found here. Join us for a of holiday reads- it will be fun!

Here are the books I'm hoping to get to this time around.

Review: Murder at the Brightwell

Murder at the Brightwell is a very good debut mystery set at a seaside resort in England in the 1930's. Amory Ames is unhappy in her marriage- her husband Milo comes and goes as he pleases, spending his time in exotic locales, and has quite a reputation as a philanderer. He has just returned from Monte Carlo, and Amory never knows how long he's staying or when he's leaving again. She sometimes wonders what life would have been like if she had married Gil Trent- the man she jilted for Milo five years earlier. Imagine her surprise when Gil shows up unexpectedly, looking for a favor. Gil asks her to accompany him to the Brightwell Hotel for a seaside jaunt- his sister will be there with her fiance Rupert Howe, whom Gil dislikes intensely. Gil wants Amory to pretend she is leaving Milo, and that his sister will see the light and realize that marrying Rupert would be a mistake. Amory, who is delighted to see Gil and furious at Milo, agrees- and the fun begins.

Amory and Gil arrive at the Brightwell and meet the rest of their party- and an interesting group it is. Amory dislikes Rupert almost immediately, along with several other members of the party, but the hotel is fabulous, the seaside location a welcome retreat from her boredom in the country. Amory is looking forward to a week at the Brightwell, in spite of the potential for scandal from her association with Gil. At the same time Amory is trying to sort out her feelings for Gil, and for her husband as well- does she leave Milo and and start over with Gil? Or does she stay with Milo and try to work things out? The matter is complicated when Milo arrives at the resort- and is complicated further when Rupert turns up dead!

Gil is immediately suspected by the police, and eventually arrested- he was overheard warning Rupert to stay away from his sister, and there is other incriminating evidence. Amory is shocked and dismayed, and sets out to prove Gil is innocent any way she can. Doing so however exposes her to danger as well- and when the body count rises she may have all she can do to survive her stay at the Brightwell.

I liked this book a lot, after a slightly slow start it took off for me once they arrived at the hotel. Amory is likable and smart, and doesn't take any guff. She butts heads with Inspector Jones, the investigator assigned to the case. He doesn't appreciate her asking questions and nosing around, but they develop a mutual respect as the story moves along. Their relationship and the way it develops was one of the highlights of the story for me. I didn't care for Milo very much, although he did grow on me a bit as he helps amory solve the case. Amory spends much of her time trying to sort out her feelings for Gil and Milo and you're never really sure until the end which way she's going to go. I had a definite opinion on who I preferred but you can make an argument either way.

The hotel itself is almost a character here, with its pastel colors and art deco vibe. I loved the descriptions of it, I could almost picture the sitting room and terraces. This is billed as a Christie- esque 1930's romp on the cover, and I think that's pretty apt. There are a ton of red herrings and I had my suspicions several times as to the killer, but in the end I was surprised. The end itself is a bit cliched, with a storm and power outage and surprise, the killer shows up- but I really liked this book and it's probably one of my favorites of the year. I had a great time at the Brightwell, in spite of the murders!

Teaser Tuesday #36

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate you grab your current read, open to a random page and share (2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INLUDE SPOILERS (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away. You don't want to ruin the book for others). Share the title and author.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Ames, but..." His eyes caught sight of my guests. 
"Mr. Ames, Mr. Trent." there was an irritatingly interested note in his voice. He stepped fully into the room, and I shut the door behind him. 
"Inspector Jones," Milo smiled. "I'm glad you could join us. The party was just beginning to get dull." 

Murder at the Brightwell  



I'm using another selection From Murder at the Brightwell this week, as this book was good. My review is here. 

Sunday Post #68

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. 

November is here! 
This week I finished Murder at the Brightwell, and my review will be up Tuesday. A nice read and a great debut mystery, set during the '30's. One of my favorites of the year, probably. Later in the week I'll have a review of Vitro, a great YA read from earlier this year. 

November is Sci Fi Month, and I'll have a few posts going up in the next couple of weeks. It's not too late to join, you can sign up anytime this month. Also the Hohoho readathon is starting later this week, and that's been driving my book picks   



This is also NaNoWriMo month, and I'll be taking part. There's a lot going on right now, but I've been planning on doing this for a while so I want to make it happen. I have a ambitious blog schedule for November so I may have to scale things back to accommodate Nano- we'll see how it goes. 

Review: Forbidden Planet

Forbidden Planet is probably my favorite science fiction movie. It was released in 1956 and tells the story of a starship crew in the 23rd century who are sent to the distant world Altair-4 to reestablish contact with a crew that was marooned there years ago. Upon arrival they discoer there are only two survivors- the enigmatic Dr. Morbius and his daughter Altaira. The rest of the crew died years ago- under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Dr. Morbius doesn't seem very happy to see his rescuers however- turns out he has built a comfortable life on Altiar-4, spending his time studying the artifacts of the Krell, an ancient civilization that once called this planet home.

Commander Adams (played by a young Leslie Nielsen) is conflicted by Dr. Morbius' refusal to cooperate Complicating matters is the mutual attraction between Adams and Morbius' daughter Altaira. Adams' orders are to return any survivors to Earth, but Morbius refuses to leave. He feels he cannot leace his research, and as Adams discovers the true nature of the Krell technology, he realizes it is more than one man can hope to study. Morbius disagrees, and it soon becomes clear that they are not alone on this planet. Someone... or something... else is also there, something that kills but cannot be seen. And they may not make it off the planet alive...

My favorite part of the movie is the scene where Morbius takes Adams and his men down into the heart of the abandoned Krell machinery, and Adams realizes the true scale. Machinery so advanced it can turn the users' thoughts into reality... but with power so great, where does one draw the line?



Forbidden Planet is a phenomenal vintage science fiction movie. It's got thrills, a fw chills, and even a little humor. Perhaps best known for introducing the iconic Robby the Robot to the popular culture, it is an entertaining film and a great way to spend an hour and a half if you want to see one of the most influential sc ifi films ever made.