Let's Reflect

In my last post, I was reflecting on interracial romances where neither of the main characters are white. I totally forgot about Alyssa Cole's Can't Escape Love, part of her Reluctant Royals series. I haven't read it yet, but since finishing Take a Hint, Dani Brown, I think it might be my next romance. Luckily it's available at my local eLibrary.

I also read The Prince and the Dressmaker. It is sweet, interesting, loving and just tugged at my heartstrings. Frances and Sebastian are so cute. I highly recommend it. I want my children to read it too.

Egyptian Steampunk also might be my new favourite genre. At least one I need to explore more. I read the short story/novella A Dead Djinn in Cairo, and it was so good. I love, LOVE, Fatma el-Sha'arawi. I checked, and P. Djèli Clark has two more stories set in this world. It seems like the second one doesn't have Agent Fatma as the main character, but I'm fine with that. She's back by the third (yet to be published) story.

I watched some good TV/movies too. After seeing Regé-Jean Page on Saturday Night Live, I decided it was time to watch Bridgerton. Since it's so popular, I didn't expect it to be bad, but I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I will admit that I watched is all in one day. Also, I could listen to Julie Andrews' voice all day long.... wait, I practically did that. 

I also decided it was time to watch the things languishing in my Netflix queue. I scrolled with my eyes closed and watched what my finger landed on. The first was Warrior Nun. With a title like that, I knew I had to at least try it out. I thoroughly enjoyed Ada and Mary. I also really want to know what happens and if there will be another season.

Next, I landed on Howl's Moving Castle, an anime movie from 2004. I liked the idea of the girl turning into an old woman and getting to know Howl from that perspective. I don't know how I feel about her befriending the witch who cursed her though. I'm three episodes into Dragon's Dogma, an anime series. I think I'm liking the random choices on Netflix. I know there have been two animes in the last week, but the stories are very different. Howl's Moving Castle has a sweetness to it. Dragon's Dogma is messed up.

This post is definitely not as deep as the last one. Maybe it's less "thinking about books" and more "Netflix queue", but sometimes, that's what you need.

3 Stories - Fantasy, Mystery & A Marvel Comic

Things have gotten busy lately, so instead of writing three separate posts, I thought I would smash my last three reads into one. I want to consider what each book taught me, whether about what makes a good story, people, life or whatever. There still might be a little, "Ahhhh!" because my last three reads were amazing. I've been pretty good with choosing some fantastic reads this year and I hope it continues.

Children of Blood and Bone

That was an unexpected ending. Just wow. I immediately searched for when the sequel was coming out when I finished. Children of Blood and Bone is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Not only did I love the characters, I loved the interpretation of magic and world that Tomi Odeyemi created. Odeyemi wove magic into the world in a way I really enjoyed. Something about the world she created called to me. I found Odeyemi, her world and her characters inspiring.

One For The Money

Stephanie Plum is amazing. She is smart, funny, witty, and maybe a little too confident sometimes. The pacing in One for the Money was perfect. There was action, but also emotional, frightening moments as well. This was another book I stayed up much too late reading. I’ve already put the second book on hold at the library. I think this would make a great television series. I looked it up and saw that a movie was made. I also saw the reviews and ratings it received. It makes me a little sad. There is so much great material. There are awkward situations, tension and cliffhangers. Janet Evanovich created a sensational hero and cast of supporting characters. Her parents and grandmother are amazing.

A small side note, this novel is very 90s. There were so many situations where a cell phone would have been extremely useful. There’s a car phone that’s used, which is a small source of tension. I wonder how Stephanie changes her tactics as the years progress. Will cell phones and texting become part of the story? Will technology change her cases? This is a series that will give me years of enjoyment.

A-Force:Warzones

One look at the cover and I couldn't resist picking up A-Force: Warzones. Just look at She-Hulk. She means business. A-Force:Warzones is like the other Warzones comics I’ve read. It takes place on Battleworld where Doom is god. A-Force taught me that anyone can be a hero. It’s about need and home and love. It’s about fighting for what you believed in and for what’s right. This edition just reinforced my desire to read the Thors Warzone comic. What makes them the way they are? There’s so much to learn there.

That’s three! What will my next three be? I wonder what genres I’ll be choosing and what each story will teach me.

Blast From The Past #10 - Blood Diamond

I can't believe it's been 10 years since I saw Blood Diamond. Has anything in that world changed? Are the African people still exploited, their lands, for diamonds? Do people still hunger for them in a one-sided market? I like to think there's been some change. One obvious example with people I know, is with engagement rings. I know a few women who have chosen an alternative to a diamond. I have seen a beautiful black pearl ring and a sparkling sapphire. More and more, I'm seeing "different" choices. Is this the new generation wanting to be different from those who have come before? Are these socially conscious people? Are personal tastes circumventing the norm? I think maybe all those things. I also think that diamond stores are being more socially conscious, as the population is becoming more so. There are certifications that diamonds can receive to show that they were mined within certain standards. There are agreements that diamond producing countries (including Canada) have signed. So, maybe some things have changed, but not enough.

I've included a couple interesting links below.

http://time.com/blood-diamonds/

http://www.brilliantearth.com/conflict-diamond-trade/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Diamond

Wild Seed

Wild Seed is the first novel in Octavia E. Butler's Patternmaster series, in the chronology of the Patternmaster world.  It is actually the 3rd novel written in the series.  If I had known that before I started, I probably would have read the books in publication order.  Oh well.  The edition of Wild Seed I have is collected in an Omnibus titled, Seed To Harvest.  I hadn't fully decided until I reached the emotional end of Wild Seed, whether I would write about each of the four Patternmaster books individually or if I would write about Seed to Harvest as a whole. It was an emotional ending and a fantastic story. Wild Seed is definitely a story on its own, able to stand alone, not just as a part of a series.  The power of the story decided for me, I had to write about Wild Seed (and now each subsequent story) on its own.

Wild Seed starts off with Doro. Sensing the presence of Anwanyu, Doro veers off his path to find her. That decision sets their immortal lives on a new course.  I loved this story.  Not only is the plot interesting and unique, it gives us a view of a world we don't often see in fantasy. Doro is a spirit, who's not a spirit; who changes bodies by first killing the spirit of the ones who own it. He can become male or female, black or white, anyone he wants. Anyanwu is an incredibly strong shapeshifter. She can become any living creature, learning all she needs to know about how a body functions by eating a bite of that animal. She can be a woman or man, make herself black or white or whatever she wants. Doro has lived for almost four thousand years. Anyanwu is young in comparison, only about four hundred by the time the book ends. They were both born in Africa, but their lives have moved to the new world, to a secluded part of New York. 

I love Anyanwu. I love how much she loves her friends and family. I love that she wants to be around her people. I love how much she cares for them, wants them to be safe and to grow and think for themselves. I love how much she loved Isaac. She was amazing, they were amazing. I'm so glad that this is a series and I (hopefully) get to see what happens next to her. 

I loved to hate Doro. I just wanted him to see what he was doing was wrong, not just because of convention or superstition, but because it can create bad people. Before finding Anyanwu, he lost most of his humanity. Anyanwu is a good (interesting) influence on him. I'm excited to see what kind of change will happen to him through the books in this series. 

I liked that we got to know Isaac. Besides him, we don't really see much of the other people Doro and Anyanwu interact with. The rest of the characters flit in and out of their lives, though there are a few we get deeper glimpses into, like Stephen, Luisa, Thomas, Nneke, and Leah. I wonder who we will see in future books. I suppose with the unending lives of Doro and Anyanwu, the next book could start with the end of Wild Seed, or it could start a hundred years in the future. 

I wonder about the other books. How much time will have passed? Where are we going to find this immortal pair? Will Anyanwu change Doro? I'm excited that I have started this series and I'll be reading the other books soon.

 
 *I really like all these interesting covers from over the years.  I had to share.*