Sunday Post #195

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

This week was pretty awesome- we got temps in the 80's. In fact the high tomorrow (I'm writing this on Tuesday) is 87! Woot! Bring it- summertime. Why am I writing this on Tuesday? Well not the whole post but you know, I gotta get it started. :) So yeah a good week. Reading took a back seat though, I didn't read a lot mainly because I'm waiting for some new releases. I did read Refuge for Masterminds though and it was excellent- my thoughts will be up on Tuesday. Thanks to Kathleen Baldwin for the ARC!  

Last week I posted a flash fiction and thanks to everyone who stopped by. Flash fiction is fun and challenging too because it's so short, you don't have a lot of room to work with. The 100 is winding down (and getting very intense in the process) and Riverdale is done- I thought the finale just a bit underwhelming, but all in all a fun show. And 12 Monkeys started up again. One of the best shows on TV  is back.  

I reviewed Girl Out Of Water this week. Next week will be Refuge for Masterminds, as I mentioned above, and something else... not sure what yet!   

Song of the week

PULP COVER OF THE WEEK: 

NEW ARRIVAL/ UPCOMING REVIEWS:

BOOKISH LINKS

The 100 The Chosen

The 100 has always been about choices. Choices and the characters that have to make them. That is never more true than tonight, when some of the most momentous decisions have to be made. The stakes- life and death. The fate of humanity. The death wave is less than twenty- four hours away and the choices made here will define who these people are, and who they want to be. And no matter what they decide- who they decide- they have to live with the results of their decisions. Spoilers for this episode of The 100.

Two very important decisions are made in this episode. First of all, Kane and Jaha make a fateful decision that will decide the fate of Skaikru. Bellamy and Clarke meanwhile must also make a decision, when time runs out to reach Raven- do they go back to the bunker and leave Raven, or do they go on to get her and take a chance on a risky survival strategy? Both decisions surprised me- but in different ways. First of all at the bunker the Grounders have taken over and Indra is pushing Octavia hard to keep the pressure on Skaikru- they have twelve hours to pick their hundred survivors. The rest will be removed from the bunker. Pretty harsh- the four hundred plus Skaikru people thought they were safe only to find out there will be a lottery to determine who survives. Needless to say they're not happy to hear it.

Some of them want to fight and when Niylah gets roughed up, Octavia lays down the law and rescues her. She gives Niylah a spot and now Skaikru have lost one. Kane and Abby have identified the essential personnel they need to survive (including children- some of the first we've seen on the show) and that leaves eighty spots. Jaha is among those who wants to fight, and even has a plan in place- to gas the Grounders, threaten the food stores, until Skaikru has the upper hand once more. Kane fights him on this, and they're in the middle of executing the lottery- with Octavia and the Grounders coming to enforce it- when the shoe drops. The big twist of the night- Octavia and Indra enter, to find all of Skaikru unconscious. Kane did get through to Jaha- they gassed Skaikru instead.

This shocked me actually- but in a way it fits right in with this show from the beginning. They had to cull the Ark, and now they're culling the entirety of Skaikru. The Grounders will stay, and Kane and Jaha are falling back on Clarke's list from earlier in the season. Yes, the infamous list- Jaha knows right where it is (because of course)- and then Kane and Jaha have the heartbreaking task of directing which people to keep, and which to remove. Octavia and Indra just stand there, stunned.

Meanwhile Bellamy and Clarke go to rescue Raven, who is cooling her heels at the island, but they have a short window of time to make it there and back. And of course they blow it- Bellamy and Clarke are chatting and clearing the air between them and Bellamy hits a Grounder who jumps out in front of the vehicle. I was just thinking too that Bellamy needs to watch the road! Turns out there are some Trikru survivors who want their radiation suits, and things look grim until Echo shows up on horseback to save the day. Man that looked hokey. Echo as it happens wants to survive, and her best chance is the bunker on the island- the same one Murphy and Emori are pinning their hopes on.

Yes Murphy and Emori are along for the ride. Murphy figures (correctly no doubt) that he and Emori will not be picked to survive, so they figure their best chance is the island. But since Bellamy cracked the truck up none of them can get back now. They have a choice to make. Go back and leave Raven, or carry on. They decide to go on, thus setting up a split here at the end of the season- Bellamy and Clarke will not be in the bunker with Kane and Abby apparently when the death wave hits.

So... Raven is watching the countdown clock when Bellamy and Clarke arrive. They're not alone- Murphy, Emori and Echo are with them, as are Monty and Harper who also came. They're going to try for space, to return to the Ark, and survive by leaving Earth behind- if they can find a way to live up there. For five years. I'm skeptical of all this, but the show has shown that Raven can do anything when they need her to, so no worries. 

Random Thoughts

Kane used to make expedient choices, hard choices, on the Ark- just like Jaha. So it seems fitting here that for the twist we have Kane and Jaha not fighting each other- as I expected- but in the end working together to decide for Skaikru who lives. Based on Clarke's list. So essentially it's Clarke, Kane and Jaha making the final call. 

Going to space? Whether they do a five year time gap for season five, it sure is an interesting development to see this happening. Going back to the Ark? I thought it wasn't habitable. I'm not sure how I feel about this but I'm not loving it. And who else thinks one or more of these people are going to have to sacrifice themself to make it work? 

Does Indra push Octavia too hard? You can certainly make that case, especially when she finds the armory and the Grounders arm themselves. O wavers at the end and you wonder if she can do this- if she should do this- but Kane and Jaha make it a moot point. I wonder if Indra was thinking something along the lines of dang, I thought I was cold? These two - I got nothing on them! 

Miller's dad puts his sons name in the lottery bowl in place of his own. And Kane has the older Miller taken away and the son left behind. Not only that but when Jaha picks up the child, after the father is taken out, that was a powerful moment. Especially since the man had asked Jaha earlier to care for his son if he didn't make it. 

"This is how we save our people." Didn't see that  coming.  

Girl Out Of Water

Imagine you're a junior in high school and you live in Santa Cruz, steps away from the beach. You and your friends surf all day and life is good. Some of your friends are going away to college or the service soon, so this is your last summer with some of them. And Surf Break, the big surfing festival, is coming up later in the summer. Oh, and your best friend who you have the hots for just kissed you. Good times? Well then you get home and your dad tells you guess what- you're going to Nebraska for the summer. Needless to say, Anise Sawyer is not pleased. 

I love the premise- surfer girl goes to the heartland to care for her grandmother (who was in an accident) and her cousins, and falls in love with a guy while she's there- can you see the drama potential? But it's actually a heartfelt story and done well, in lots of ways. Anise is a good kid, yeah she drinks on the beach and hits a joint now and then, but her and her dad (a single father) have a super tight relationship, and she basically makes good choices. And part of her doesn't mind going to help her grandmother- she loves her family and seems pretty well grounded for her age.  I liked Anise a lot- in fact I liked everyone a lot. The supporting cast, her family, everyone is fine. And it's a good story. It just fell a little flat for me and took me a while to finish it. 

I just wasn't super motivated to read it at times. I liked the beginning and the end, it just seemed like not a lot happened in the middle. She learns to skateboard and falls for Lincoln and has some family issues. There's a subplot with her cousin Emery that had potential- Emery gets moody and quiet and Anise suspects something happened with her friends, but the reveal was pretty anti- climactic. And Lincoln is a good guy, at times almost too good. And while I mentioned above that Anise falls in love with him, I should correct that- I'm not sure they ever use the word love. It's kind of refreshing that even as they're really into each other, they're not all like soul mates forever. They both realize what they have now is important, but there's no lifelong promises. 

A couple other things are going on. Anise struggles with her feelings for her mother, who shows up occasionally but for the most part is a drifter. Anise and her dad have adjusted to this but there's the real possibility that her mother may show up at some point. That's something that Anise struggles with throughout the story. Also, as she settles into life in Nebraska, she kind of loses touch with her friends. Especially when Lincoln comes into the picture. As the summer wears on she loses touch with Santa Cruz, and by the end of the book has to come to grips with that. 

It seemed a bit much that Anise had to leave almost immediately for Nebraska, and had to spend the whole summer. And until Lincoln comes along all Anise wants is to go home, and I couldn't blame her. I got bored reading about her cousins and skateboarding. Lincoln I didn't really connect with because he seemed too perfect- can we have at least one flaw?- and I frankly wanted her to go home to Eric, the guy she kissed before leaving (and her best friend of seventeen years). But the author may have intended for the reader to have mixed feelings even as Anise does, so instead of a problem that may have been the point. Anise is also a pretty good role model for teens, other than the occasional f- bombs (actually she uses those quite a bit) she makes good choices about sex and relationships. 

So as you can see I did have a hard time with this. I liked the beginning and end and the resolution of the Eric/ Lincoln conundrum seemed realistic. A little bittersweet but how could it not be? It also asks a lot of questions about life and what Anise wants to do with hers- I liked that aspect and I think it was handled well. This is a solid read that kind of drags in the middle but if the premise appeals to you it has a lot to offer. 

Tuesday Tagline #39

Top Ten Mother's Day Edition

 

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted. Everyone is welcome to join. Link back to The Broke and the Bookish so everyone can check out other bloggers' lists. It's a fun way to get to know fellow bloggers.

This week is Top Ten Mother's Day whatever- a freebie. I decided to go with books with great moms, and books with, um, not-so-great moms. Split it up. This was actually kind of a fun one as I had to really think about the different portrayals of parents- and we all know in YA that can be especially problematic. So... here we go. 

 GOOD MOMS

Frances' mom is awesome. Even though Frances is a study machine, she pretty much pushes herself, and her mom actually is very supportive but also tells her to take time and live a little. Plus they order pizza and watch shows together.  

Madeline has a biting wit and doesn't take any shit but she has her kids' backs and is funnier than anything. 

Ellison is an awesome mom and a riot - oh and she finds lot of dead bodies. 

The mom in this one has a daughter who is found unconscious and possibly assaulted at a party in the garden- which is really a huge communal space behind the homes and townhouses of a neighborhood inn London. She's a good mom in a tough spot. 

I don't remember a ton about the mom here but I included it because the family dynamics were so strong- and the MC goes back home when her impending marriage falls apart.  

BAD MOMS

This mom sucks because she's a researcher on a secret island and when her daughter shows up she is shocked to find out what her mom is doing. Plus mom chose her researcher life over her daughter. 

This mom makes her three cloned daughters take turns attending school, and they can't date or have much of a social life so that their secret isn't revealed. But that ain't gonna last... 

All the moms in this one must suck because they ship their daughters off to a school for unruly young ladies. Little do they know that the daughters are trained to be spies, rather than whipped into shape. 

Oh man... where to start? Catelyn Stark is controversial- some fans hate her for how she treated Jon. And she starts a war basically but I also think she gave her son good advice and she was often right about various aspects. Definitely a debatable one. 

The mom here is a trip. Kyla is mindwiped and placed with a new family, she doesn't know her real family. The mom who takes her in watches her but comes to care for her too, so she's a mixed bag- Kyla doesn't know if she can trust her or not. I liked the evolution of the mom.

A Beautiful Day - flash fiction

This flash fiction was inspired by an image called The Exit Alternative by artist Arthur Blue. I love this guy's artwork and this image got me thinking about what it would be like to live in a place like that. Is it a future utopia or something a bit darker? Why is it there? The beauty of artwork like this is that everyone who sees it will have their own take on it, their own interpretation. Which is what I think art is supposed to do. Make us think, and imagine. So... here's my take off the top of my head.

A Beautiful Day 

I walk out of the tunnel into the sunshine. It's so much warmer here than inside, with the sun's rays slanting down and a gentle breeze skittering some leaves into the Structure. Those will have to be swept out, of course. But such a pleasant day. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs, and as I do so I notice others doing the same thing- stretching out cat-like in the sunshine, or sitting and reading, or just staring off into space . The sound of the birds chirping, the gurgle of the canals... it's all so relaxing.

It's times like this that I wonder if it is really necessary, to stay here and be so limited? I mean life isn't bad here, but we were made to grow, to expand, to explore... weren't we? Not to hide or play it safe. Yet that's what we're doing. At what point do we take a chance, maybe risk it all, to see if the outside is ready for us? Or if we're ready for it?

Well it's not going to be today. May as well enjoy the warmth and the sunshine. It's a blessing to be able to do this, after all, and I'm determined to take advantage of it. I hear a splash from somewhere up above and see someone taking a swim on the upper level- what a great idea! Looks like fun, as long as they don't go over the edge. But hey you have to live a little, right?

The gardens are in bloom alongside the canals and the buzz of insects combine with the sunshine to make me drowsy. A few people pass by, most absorbed in their own thoughts, but a couple nod or say hello. I don't see anyone I know though. One person actually leaves the Structure and sets off across the grassy hills- I wish them a pleasant walk as I consider doing the same and then discard the idea. I'm pretty happy right here at the moment, thank you very much. I have to get back anyway, Maya and I were going to try and do something tonight. Maybe we'll come back here and watch the sunset... who knows?

I must have dozed because the sun is lower when I rouse myself. Yikes, what time is it? Time to go. I get up, a little stiff, and with a glance back at the beautiful day head back into the tunnels. It's immediately cooler here but comforting in a certain way too, and I hurry along since I've lost track of time. I pass an attractive woman heading in the other direction, with a bag and a towel over her arm- we smile and say hi. She must be going for a dip too.  I pick up my pace, my pulse racing as I think of Maya. She's probably off by now, and I'm starving. Maybe we can grab some dinner.

Before long I'm at the crossing and I turn left, towards the noise and activity of the Hub. I miss the peace and quiet of the outer works, the sound of the canal gurgling along in the cool dark tunnels, but Maya is probably wondering where I'm at. Maybe she'll feel like a walk, and we can go back and enjoy the rest of this beautiful day.

Sunday Post #194

This week wasn't bad although I could still use a bit of a warm up. It's been pretty quiet around here for the most part. And with summer approaching I've been thinking about getting up north and visiting some favorite spots. There's a place I like to go at one the lighthouse parks where the water level rises and falls quite dramatically from year to year- and since I haven't been there for two years I'm anxious to see what it's like. It's at the tip of a peninsula and when the water is down you can walk way into the bay and just be surrounded by water. Pretty awesome.  

This week I'm doing something a little different. I'll be posting a flash fiction on Monday rather than the usual Cover Characteristics or review post. It's inspired by this image over at DeviantArt and I had fun putting it together. As flash fiction it's not very long, but I love imagery like this that can excite the imagination. Other than that I have reviews for Girl Our Of Water and... whatever else I get to.    

  

Song of the week 

PULP COVER OF THE WEEK: 

NEW ARRIVAL/ UPCOMING REVIEWS:

BOOKISH LINKS