This novel is a foodie delight, a bakeoff for celestial beings where the stakes or death or worse. It’s everything a televised bakeoff would be, complThis novel is a foodie delight, a bakeoff for celestial beings where the stakes or death or worse. It’s everything a televised bakeoff would be, complete with sabotage, difficult contestants and finicky judges. Cai’s reasons for winning make sense and they’re more than seeing a dream of opening a restaurant in her dead father’s name. Everybody has reasons for winning the contest and those reasons unfold naturally as the story progresses.
This is a look at another world of myth and story, one where the gods either walked among human beings, as fallible and real as your next-door neighbor or toyed with humans from the clouds. Near or far, they are presences in mortal lives, they and their magical familiars.
But shining above all this is the love of food. There are dishes described in such mouthwatering detail, you can almost taste them. I wanted to try each one and was sorry this book didn’t come with recipes. Even if some of the ingredients sounded fictional (a blue and red pepper with different Scoville levels?) or were fabulistic in nature, e.g. a desert chicken that only manifested when you sacrificed an item of personal value, I thought they all sounded intriguing and worth the try.
For gourmets, gourmands and lovers of the fantastical, savor this Celestial Banquet. ...more
Family is rather a nebulous concept these days. It can definitely expand or contract depending on circumstances. Such is the situation Denver finds hiFamily is rather a nebulous concept these days. It can definitely expand or contract depending on circumstances. Such is the situation Denver finds himself in when he has to deal with his whiny, pestiferous stepbrother Harlan.
The novel takes us through Denver’s inner journey as he tries to extricate Harlan from a magical spell, the result of an unhappy tree that needs some nurturing itself. The story isn’t subtle in its message about embracing new members of the family but it doesn’t need to be. It’s made for children, after all, and subtlety isn’t a tactic that may work with younger members.
Denver gradually learns how to heal Spiro’s loneliness and disconnection from the other trees in the forest and, in doing so, bridges some yawning rifts within himself. The book also includes helpful tips about trees and a crash course in dendrology that may make some children curious about the green world in which they live. ...more
There’s so much backstory in this book, you feel that you missed a prequel somehow. But you’re swiftly caught up because the characters are united in There’s so much backstory in this book, you feel that you missed a prequel somehow. But you’re swiftly caught up because the characters are united in a mighty cause: keeping themselves out of the clutches of a hive mind collective. Part Borg, part multi-billion-dollar corporation, it’s the kind of business deal that’s easy to get into and almost impossible to extricate yourself later.
Former captain Nicolette Larsen is a tough cookie with a soft center. She cares fiercely for her crew and would kill for them. Die for them? Let’s consider other options first.
The author combines adventure, mystery, revenge drama, pirates, gourmet meals involving precious eggplant, romance gone horribly awry and a cast that consists of a food critic, rich idle playboy, court royal and a feisty bioship that’s slowly exploring what it means to have emotions. Everything about this tale moves and entertains. It’s a space opera that manages to pull surprises. There’s even a sly reference to Douglas Adams The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
I was pleased to find out there’s a sequel. I’m curious to see how Nico and her crew manage their restaurant at the ends of the universe....more
This fantastical and ludicrous story of one man’s attempt to buy groceries for his children is vastly amusing. I want to say it’s in Mr. Gaiman’s typiThis fantastical and ludicrous story of one man’s attempt to buy groceries for his children is vastly amusing. I want to say it’s in Mr. Gaiman’s typical voice. But he has a trickster’s gift of changing his tone from one book to the next. This children’s book is vastly different from the rhyming, rollicking humor of Pirate’s Stew, the horror of Coraline and the quiet contemplation of The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
This is a father’s attempt to explain why he’s so late with the milk and it’s one ripping yarn. As accompanied by the jittery illustrations of Skottie Young, the narrator always teeters on the edge of disaster but manages to escape by the skin of his teeth and one judiciously placed bottle of liquid dairy product. It’s absurdity at its absolute highest (or is it lowest?), reminding you of the lunacy of a Monty Python skit, complete with inventive dinosaurs, bloodthirsty wumpires, teed-off volcano gods and so much more. The girls listening to him are skeptical but with a story this inventive, who cares?...more
Filled with rollicking good humor, a curious recipe and two kids who definitely didn’t expect the babysitters their parents set up for them, this bookFilled with rollicking good humor, a curious recipe and two kids who definitely didn’t expect the babysitters their parents set up for them, this book combines the antics of a certain Dr. Seuss cat and the wildness of Peter Pan. The children are taken aloft by jovial, well-meaning pirates whose notion of a wholesome meal is flavored by edible and inedible ingredients.
The rhyming text is accompanied by the illustrations of Chris Riddell. His wide-eyed characters are filled with vibrant color, variety, verve and an ever-increasing cast of characters. The children are cautious but get swept up in the action as their house acquires winged sails that send them wafting aloft.
Neil Gaiman once more proves himself adept at writing for adults and children in this animated children’s story. Haul up the anchor, me hearties, and don’t forget the donuts!...more
This book invites you to the tip of South Africa, the place the authors claim is the birth of the home sapiens. We return to Mother Ocean with gorgeouThis book invites you to the tip of South Africa, the place the authors claim is the birth of the home sapiens. We return to Mother Ocean with gorgeous, high-quality photographs and eloquent prose lighting the way. The book shows a tiny slice of the marine creatures that fill our oceans, providing us with a tantalizing view of a world that’s far more alien than anything shown in the movies.
It doesn’t proselytize. There are no messages about how this precious world must be preserved, no pictures of animals choking in plastic beer holders or filled with microplastics. There are no stern exhortations to cut down on plastic waste. However, now children can see a world worth preserving, creatures worth saving and an underwater kingdom that we must rescue if we are to aid ourselves.
Children will enjoy this book for what it is. Adults can let them understand its underlying message. This is a book that invites discussion, exploration and the serene joy of dreaming of a submarine world....more
Filled with lines of prose that sing with elegant metaphorical phrases, this celebration of human skin pigmentation makes comparisons to skies, riversFilled with lines of prose that sing with elegant metaphorical phrases, this celebration of human skin pigmentation makes comparisons to skies, rivers, giraffes and leopards. We’re all part of a rich, glorious tapestry and our skin is just an outward manifestation of earth’s various hues.
The book doesn’t mention skin diseases, irritation from inflammation, itchiness or pesky stinging insects. It’s an assurance to people who fret that the color given by nature and genetics somehow isn’t right. But that’s codswallop and Mother Earth gently signals that, whatever skin we’re in, it’s thoroughly terrific....more
The YouTube sensation that is Simon’s cat is in book form. Yay! Without dialogue but with short captions, we bear witness to the uncontrolled chaos thThe YouTube sensation that is Simon’s cat is in book form. Yay! Without dialogue but with short captions, we bear witness to the uncontrolled chaos that this feline brings to the world or has brought to him.
Simon’s feline pet is an outdoorsy creature, freely mingling with dogs, snails, hedgehogs and other cats. But he’s just as frenzied indoors. Whether he’s “investigating” the contents of the fridge, leaping claws out on the anatomy of his unsuspecting owner, wreaking havoc at a cat show or destroying a newly built wooden replica of the HMS Victory, this kitty has never learned restraint.
The book comes with a handy guide for people to copy Mr. Tofield’s various drawings. So this will be a treat for children as well as adults. Let’s just hope it doesn’t give the little tots ideas…...more
It’s always a challenge to get children to eat healthy. Yet this colorful and fanciful book gives it the old schoolyard try. (I know the phrase is “coIt’s always a challenge to get children to eat healthy. Yet this colorful and fanciful book gives it the old schoolyard try. (I know the phrase is “college try” but Morgan’s a long way from college.)
In rhyme so clever it demands a tune, Morgan is an eager and all-encompassing eater. She’s not picky; she likes fruits and vegetables, including the ones that children often hate like broccoli and lettuce. However, the book also shows her with ice cream cones in hand and gobbling down pizza. All of it is consumed with gleeful smiles.
The message is clear. Children can have their fast food treats but it must be balanced with healthy foods. Above all, let’s have variety! The Morgan Munchpies of the world are waiting to share a meal with us....more
Captain Nicolette Larson and her intrepid crew return! The bioship You Sexy Thing is growing more emotional as time passes—which isn’t always a good tCaptain Nicolette Larson and her intrepid crew return! The bioship You Sexy Thing is growing more emotional as time passes—which isn’t always a good thing.
Cat Rambo shows less humor in this segment and more attention to consequences to dubious actions. Members of the crew are making or have made bad decisions in the past and in the present and it has dangerous ripple effects on them and possibly the rest of the universe.
While the main focus is on Atlanta and her attempts to find something meaningful for herself that will make her feel less of a deadweight to the crew and Talon with his relentless grieving over his dead twin Thorn, the rest of the crew have their own burdens to manage. The only exception seems to be the unflappable Dabry. He and Niko are the stalwart heart of their team. This tight bond among them hasn’t gone unnoticed and that rouses a bitter envy in another captain that will have devastating consequences.
Looming over everyone is the bioship itself. The ship is learning emotions but is still rather an amoral being and we the readers can see how that’s going to prove dangerous in future. It resists being bored but that means it’s getting involved in shady and frankly illegal dealings just to see what will happen. How long can Niko rein in its worser impulses, especially if the ship learns how to lie? Yikes.
The ending promises another installment, especially since they’re going to be dealing with the nefarious pirate Tubal Last. Having somehow escaped death when the bioship destroyed a major part of the pirate hub, his presence remains a lethal threat, one Niko is determined to eliminate. I’m gleefully looking forward to seeing how Niko deals with this menace especially when matters get really…complicated.
This novel winningly combines action, suspense, drama, melodrama, sexual tension and the joy of cooking. It’s definitely a great way to start the new year....more
While it's delightful to read about three children who are passionate about literature, I experienced profound annoyance throughout the narrative. WhyWhile it's delightful to read about three children who are passionate about literature, I experienced profound annoyance throughout the narrative. Why? Apparently, one of them got the oh-so-cute idea of drumming up interest in Harper Lee's most famous novel by hiding or misshelving copies in libraries and bookstores. It's not done because the book is on the banned list. The kids just come off as being bored and using this as a summer hijink before starting high school in the fall.
The gambit does work: stores around the country start selling out their copies of To Kill a Mockingbird. Public interest in the book and its apparent disappearances spark online debates and theorizing.
For the moments when I could ignore the silliness of taking time to hide a common book, I rather liked reading their various opinions on the books they've read. Books can be polarizing subjects. An opinion isn't good or bad but two readers can see the same book in very different ways, ways that can lead to whole new outlooks.
Elena, Michael and Lucy get into hot debates about various other novels in ways that are fascinating to read. They are very literate, very knowledgeable bibliophiles. Yet no other classic books are being bought or stolen. The kerfluffle is entirely about Ms. Lee's book.
The ending of their little scape was surprising but it still felt like a relief to me. ...more
When some local politicos were stumping around for some office or other (I’m not sure; I think it was for a councilmember post), I asked all the ones When some local politicos were stumping around for some office or other (I’m not sure; I think it was for a councilmember post), I asked all the ones I could reach what their religious affiliation was. To my dismay but not my surprise, every one of them spoke of belonging to a faith: Presbyterian, Jew, Catholic, Episcopelian, et al.
It was disheartening, to say the least. It made me uneasy to think that people tie their faith in with politics. Why do people need to consult the invisible when it comes to national and foreign policy?
But Ms. Albright’s book opened my eyes. Religion is a major part of people’s lives. We can’t ignore it, push it to the side or dismiss it. She does offer caution and advice. People should be put first not religion; she points out how the bible has various passages in it that would be considered ludicrous, unworkable or downright illegal if they were practiced today. She wrote about her travels in her role as diplomat which entailed her traveling to various different countries. She came to understand that faith often forms a vital part of people’s lives and must be taken into account when forming policies that affect their people.
The book goes into depth about the mistakes of the Bush administration and the ham-fisted way the president responded to the tragedy of the Twin Tower bombings. (I wonder what she’d think of the current administration.) She promoted tolerance but admitted that dealing with any religious faction means careful consideration of the ripple effects. Will conceding to this country’s demands raise unease and alarm in another? Is United States intervention necessary or wanted…or will it make matters worse?
Ms. Albright understood that religion and culture are often inextricably intertwined; you can’t have one without the other. However, she also noted that religion paints only part of the picture, that people must beware of thinking their ideology is the one sole truth. Most people will never travel more than a few miles away from the small place where they were born. Their viewpoint of the world will be shaped by the cultural mores, manners, habits, customs and faith of their immediate surroundings.
(That isn’t to say that their viewpoints will never change. If they are given access to education, allowed to observe and question what they’re told, they might switch to another faith…or no faith altogether.)
Thanks to mathematics and science, we know so much more than previous generations did. We understand how germs work, the true shape of the earth and have used them to pave our way to the stars. But Ms. Albright notes that, when it comes to global politics and interfaith understanding, we’re not much smarter now than our ancestors were.
She claimed to be an optimist who worries a lot. Having lived long and seen much of the world, she finally came to the conclusion that we can’t aim for an impossible Utopia, some gilded manor on the hill, but simply a world in which we strive to alleviate current suffering, provide aid for the poor, grant education and, above all, respect the rights of the individual. She sternly stated that the United States can participate but it cannot do so from a lofty, misplaced notion of superior strength. She believed that a god has given us the gifts of reason and free will. It’s up to us to make the best use of such endowments....more
What is the difference between insanity and genius? Why does one person with a singular idea get labeled a crank while another is lauded as a visionarWhat is the difference between insanity and genius? Why does one person with a singular idea get labeled a crank while another is lauded as a visionary? Was Mr. Klein an artiste or an overgrown child gleefully mucking about with paint? Was he displaying a gift or a grift? Was he a brilliant painter or a lunatic?
My favorite color is red. So, right off the bat, I understand Mr. Klein’s obsession with blue while not caring much about it. The idea that he could hang identical paintings in an art gallery and fool people into considering them as “different” boggles my mind—and makes me gnash my teeth a little.
Somehow, people went gaga over canvases painted in one single color, as if a three-year-old child couldn’t have done that. He smeared people with paint and had them press against blank canvases. But when your toddler dips his/her hand in acrylic and smears it on the wall, we call it a mess and reach for the Windex.
He once released several blue balloons into the sky. If he did that today, people would scold him for polluting the atmosphere. I suppose the lesson one may carry away from this book is that obsessions shouldn’t necessarily be shied away from, even if other people see them as silly, jejeune or nonsensical.
Art is a polarizing subject. This primer does a fine job of introducing children to one of art’s most baffling specters. For me, it’s a case of the Emperor’s new clothes....more
