Strawberry Summer by Melissa Brayden

Strawberry Summer by Melissa Brayden

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Just like the most recent Jae book, Falling Hard I believe it was/is titled, there is nothing specifically 'wrong' with the latest offering from either author. There just wasn't anything specifically special about either. And I kind of expect special from Brayden and special from Jae. It's unfair of me, I know, but . . . that's one of those risks that occur when you read an author enough to put them into a 'must read' category.

One positive - the book kept veering into directions where I just knew I'd be annoyed - that traps would be sprung, clichés would be expressed, but the book kept from going that extra annoying step. So kept from springing the traps and clichés of other books.

This book here stars Maggie who is was and always will be a lesbian – even her family knew that (though Maggie herself hadn’t gotten around to telling them). She ends up entangled with another woman and they have something of a relationship. Nothing of Courtney’s view is seen, though, just Maggie’s. One of the vaguely cliché parts is the part where Courtney, reminiscent of a Gun Brooke book, has a dick of a rich father and a either almost not there mother, or a not-interfering with dick father mother (though, to be fair to Brooke, one of her books does have the ‘dick’ parent be the mother). But then some of the steps I expected to have happen . . . didn’t actually happen – some of the roads traveled down in other books that involve rich dickish parents and young women trying to live their life (either outside of their control, within their control, or some mix).

I took the opportunity offered to mention one of the ‘traps’ and messed up my paragraph. Mmphs.
ETA: part of that 'messed up my paragraph' was the part where I wanted to emphasis that Maggie was a lesbian, while Courtney just 'was', she doesn't like labels, though, boiled down, Maggie 'labels her' as a bisexual (since Courtney lusts after who she lusts after, regardless of gender, and Maggie sees that as bisexual).

Book opens with a prologue. Margaret is hopping around town, somewhere around 26 or so, and somewhere ‘Now’ (It is unclear when the events of this book occur – judging by the constant mention of Facebook, and how the town just put up a Facebook page, and how Facebook was founded in 2004 . . . I’d put the flashback years somewhere around 2006 to 2010, depending on how ‘slow’ the town was to jump on the bandwagon, and the ‘Now’ time at about 2015 to 2017 (the now time is 7 years after the flashback time, wait, I know – the characters are roughly 24-25 in now time then since they were roughly 16-17 in the flashback years (wait, no, started at roughly 16, ended at roughly . . . 19? 20? So somewhere around 26-27 in the Now years)). While Margaret is hopping around doing her thing, she runs across Courtney – who she hasn’t seen in a long time. And doesn’t really want to see now. Bad situation all around – the two had dated when they were even younger than they are now and it ended badly.

Then the book proceeds to spend a good long portion, maybe 65% or so of the book, in a ‘flashback’ back to high school and college (part of my problem of dates – we kept having ‘we did this here [insert scene] *the next summer* [insert scene] *the next summer* [insert scene] *2 summers later* [scene] *9 months later* [scene] *six months later* [scene]’ and by the end of all that I’ve no real clue how much time actually passed, though I got the impression a ton of time passed.

In terms of characters and growth . . . I didn’t really notice as much as I’d expect. Though I’m basing that almost entirely on how throughout the story Margaret had a massive chip on her shoulder and was a reverse-snob – anyone who was slightly popular, fashionable, etc., was assumed to be a asshole; and you - the reader – saw that crop up through time in the flashbacks (didn’t want to be near Melanie and group because they were fashionable/popular, though it was more Margaret’s issue not theirs (which she saw, once she actually talked with them, as them ‘chilling the hell out’ but . . heh, no, it was Maggie actually talking with them and not being a dick to them – hell, her own older brother was the most popular kid when he was at the high school, so all that ‘farm kid vs. town kid’ was probably there but not to the extent Maggie thought it was; years later Maggie made snide comments about Courtney’s Chicago friends based on their supposed snobbishness; then in the ‘Now’ sections Maggie was still making comments like that – though she tried, at least, to stop herself and to suppress them they still existed. She’s a successful real estate agent and had a successful management level second job with the strawberry farm and she still had this chip on her shoulder – though she was friends with some of those who she said had to chill out before she would be friends with them).

Basically my point is that everything is from Maggie’s point of view, and therefore ‘unfair’ to Courtney’s side of things and yet, Maggie is the one coming off ‘bad’ here. So, there’s that.

Wow, this is a bunch of stream of conscious gibberish. Mmphs.

Rating: 3.48

April 25 2017



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Future Leaders of Nowhere by Emily O’Beirne

Future Leaders of Nowhere by Emily O’Beirne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is the second book I’ve read by this author. Liked them both. First one I read involved a group of young women (I’d have said ‘friends’ but most were linked to one specific person who ended up not being able to go on the trip, instead of being friends of each other) taking a longish trip around . . . two or three continents (depending on whether or not coming from Australia should count, eh, probably not). They wandered Europe, and bits of Asia. I believe, if I recall correctly, that the young women did this trip in between whatever Australia’s version of high school is and college (or, in other words, most of them were around 18).

This book here? Younger bunch of kids – I believe there might have been a range of ages, though the one I do know was listed as being 16, and I imagine that the other lead character was probably that or near enough to that age. So, younger. And instead of going on a trip around half the world, the kids here go to a ‘Future Leaders of the World’ kind of camp wherein the many different kids are forced to compete as teams against each other in a kind of ‘you are all countries and/or ‘groups of people’ that interact with the other territories’ type of game. Oddly enough I ‘played’ the same type of game for a semester or two in an Economics class roughly when I was around the same age as these here. I was the leader of my own for that – think I ended up being something like ‘dictator of a Russia like country’.

The first half of the book is from Finn’s point of view. And, literally at the 50% mark, the book switches to Willa’s point of view. Then there are a few switching back and forths that occur in the last few chapters. I knew that going in, I think, though somewhere around the 44% mark I really was dreading switching. Nothing against Willa, I just wanted to continue reading things from Finn’s point of view. And I did lose some things from having the switch – lost watching some of the things Finn did. And yet, the switch worked well enough.

Books that switch point of views come in many different styles, though they tend to fall into three camps – switching by chapter, random head hopping that seems to have no clear set of rules as to when a switch occurs, and/or having have the book be from one character, then switching. All three have their positives and negatives, personally I kind of really dislike the version found here – half the book following one person’s point of view, half following the other, even more so than random head hopping. Why? Because it is very easy to fall into the trap of having the two halves of the books end up feeling like two completely different books – with the first ending abruptly (when the switch occurs). Well, as I said, the switch worked well enough here.

So – point of views. Kids – there are a mix of genders, races, body shapes, intellicut, areas of expertise etc. etc. If I read things correctly, and I imagine I might not have, Willa is in somewhat part Indian (as in from the subcontinent of India), though has no real connection to India beyond how she looks – because her mother, the same one who gave her the vaguely non-Indian name of ‘Willa’, died when Willa was young. And, again if I recall correctly, Finn would be white. I think. Bah, it’s been 2 or three days since I finished the book so I can’t recall now.

Neither Finn nor Willa have done much in terms of ‘fooling around’, though – prior to this summer camp trip thingie – had had relationships that imploded – Willa with some girl named ‘Freya’, and Finn with some guy named ‘Matt’. Both have been, so to speak, ‘damaged’ by the experience. And no, this is not a straight girl – lesbian girl romance type of situation. No, this is a bisexual girl and lesbian girl romance type of situation (though Finn has only kissed one girl, not dated any).

Okay . . . soooo what to say next. Well, I liked both characters who had points of view, there was some solid work done on putting together some well characterized side characters (for the most part – like, one of Finn’s best friends is a ‘Dan’ but other than him being the voice on the other end of a phone, I didn’t really have much idea who he was; otherwise I had some ‘hooks’ into the others). Good story. Interesting, entertaining. Good romance type thingie.

Um um um . . . good book. OH! What does a particular phrase mean that I spotted in the book? I looked it up via Google and it just lead me to some fanfiction stories that also use the phrase. ‘a ginger distance’. What is that mean? Is this some kind of slur? I think I know that ginger is a slur in British speak (used against people with red-ish hair), but this is Australian English.

Rating; 4.33

April 21 2017




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Jane's World 8-11 by Paige Braddock

Jane's World: Volume 8 by Paige Braddock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jane, Chele, Skye, and Jill go on a vacation trip together to the Florida Keys but before they reach their destination, their plane crash lands. Stuck on one of the 800 'large enough to be on the map' islands in the Keys, the four attempt to do stuff. Like sleep. Then some Polynesians show up (despite being in the wrong ocean for them to show up) and attempt to marry one of the Polynesian women to Jane. Jane want no part of this but the others press her into going through some 'tests' because they figure that this would be a way to get off the island. Eventually they run into 'shallow-breast guy' who is also on the island, along with a photographer and some bikini wearing models.

A funny continuation of the series. Though it should be noted that at no time do Chele and Jane walk in a river while carrying stuff over their heads like on the cover of the comic strip collection.

Rating: 4.4

April 15 2017



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Jane's World: The Quest for Love by Paige Braddock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


'The Quest for Love' - the various women in the comic series are on a quest for love, and/or attempting to have more 'mature' relationships. Well, some of them.

Chele is dating the photographer from the prior book - Michele (this is the first time I noticed that they actually have the same name, unless Chele is not actually a nickname taken from Michele). Jill is dating Skye (who had been dating Jane). Jane is dating . . . a Hooters waitress (and is having an on-again-off-again 'situation of confusion' with Dorothy).

As noted, Chele meet Michele in the prior book - Michele had been taking photographs of barely clothed women on the beach while Stephan Pastis stood around making vaguely inappropriate comments. Jill meet Skye . . . well, not sure when they first meet, but the certainly bumped into each other on that same Flordia Key's vacation/crash landing that put Chele and Michele together (though they didn't start dating at that time). And Jane?

Recalling that Jane works as a reporter, several news assignments were given to Jane. One saw her sent undercover to Hooters to investigate . . . um . . . the treatment of women or something like that. Jane? Undercover at Hooters? No Jane's breasts didn't suddenly get bigger or anything like that, they actually got smaller. By having them strapped down - she went undercover as a boy. Meanwhile, as part of that story, the woman who Jane attempted to use as a life coach a long while back pops up again - and see's Jane in her 'boy' costume and assumes that Jane is 'transistioning'. Because of that she admits that she, a lesbian, has a breast phobia (and then proceeds to have a flashback as to why - almost smoothered by a large breasted woman; oddly I've already seen this plot line before in a different comic series - in 'Ménage à 3' (in that comic it was a psychology student while here it was a life coach; that one also had a woman who had a penis phobia and was, for the most part, straight - her father was hugely popular manga author/artist in Japan - famous for his use of tentacles molesting women, the woman with the penis phobia sees the penis as a tentacle and freaks out in a 'must kill it' kind of way)). Naturally Jane believes that the way to 'cure' this phobia is to bring that woman along to Hooters.

Later, after having one of the Hooters waitress's flirt with then begin dating Jane (already knowing that Jane was actually a woman - just thought she was ultra butch, not thought she was a boy), Jane goes on another reporter assignment - to investigate . . wait, no, to report on a mountain bike race.

Which lead to basically every female character in the series (well not really, just a lot of them) to end up popping up there as well. And an orgy breaks out. No, really.

Another fun, humorous, way to pass the time.

Rating: 4.55

April 15 2017

ETA: I've no idea how to get this rereading thingie to stop recording everything I read as being either not completed or read 3 times (if I don't insert the dates, it doesn't get recorded as read; if I do insert the dates, it records the books as being read 3 times (even if only 1 set of dates shows). mmphs. I think I fixed it, though, but if I haven't - that's why I include this note here. That I've only read this collection once.



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A New Frontier by Paige Braddock

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the '10 year anniversary' collection. Collects the next set of comics not previously released, and includes text - a little nonfiction section in which the author mentions how Jane's World came about and a little mini-autobiography about herself. Quite fun and informative and stuff.

The 'new stuff' involves a version of Jane sucked into a 'Last Starfighter' type situation (or, more accurately, recreates that movie with Jane in the starring role). And like in that film - a 'I'm not a robot but a simul...somthing' is put in place of Jane on Earth while Jane is up flying around in space. 'Fake Jane' is super competent, doesn't whine, is good in bed, doesn't eat as much junk food, and is a good reporter -naturally every one is suspicious of this Jane because this Jane isn't 'acting right'.

Both the science fiction 'Jane's World' take on 'Last Starfighter' and the author's autobiographical section were fun things to read. And basically take up the entirety of the book. Sooo I guess I have nothing else to comment on since I already commented on both of those thingies.

Rating: 4.68

April 15 2017



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Jane's World, Volume 11 by Paige Braddock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The last of the collections available to be read and devoured, though there's a prose novel set in this universe that occurs after this one, and comic strips online that also continue the story (and then there was a reboot or something like that relatively recently - haven't looked closely yet to see what that might mean, though I know the woman who popped up on the prose novel turns up almost immediately in the comic so I think it's more of a continuation, though again I haven't looked yet).

Sooo . . . what happens in this one? More wackiness, of course. Jane continues as a reporter, adjusting to life back on earth and with a live-in girlfriend. Then the paper closes, the girlfriend moves out, and she's briefly sucked back up into space for a moment or two. You know, the average. Meanwhile the other women in the story continue bouncing around, doing their thing, going into and out of relationships (sometimes with the same woman they already were in a relationship with).

Somewhat less satisfying than the previous collection, and some of the others. Don't really have much else to say so . . ..

Rating: 4.18

April 15 2017



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Spanking New by Clifford Henderson

Spanking New by Clifford Henderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is one of those books that's probably somewhat impossible to pin down genre-wise. It is a strange book concept wise and in actuality. And I loved 99.9% of every second of it. I laughed, I cried, I . . . um . . completed the book.

An entity has been ripped from the collective knowledge and been forced to be. To be an I, instead of a we. The entity is somewhat annoyed about that separation from The Knowledge, but what’s done is done. And now it’s time to look for parents. To make the next step. All the while losing bits and pieces of knowledge until ‘the great forgetting’ that occurs at birth. But for now the entity can float around, observing, knowing, and sliding into people’s thoughts, memories, and brains. Watching.

Finds itself in an alley behind a theatre. Looks around, curious, wondering why they are there. Spots Rick and Howie talking and smoking a joint. Next to a dumpster. Ew, this can’t be . . . wait, there’s something about this Rick guy . . .. Sliding from one to the other the entity examines their thoughts and desires and feelings. Having knowledge they do not. Learning that the Rick guy is there because he’s showing Howie a ‘good time’ on his last night before he has to return to duty with the military; and because a girl he is interested in is there – no not in the alley – she had been on stage in a really weird play.

The entity, seeing and feeling Rick and Howie, experiences things and comes to a decision – the entity . . . is a he! He will be a boy when he finally gets his parents together.

Time passes. It is possible that Rick and Nina (that girl that Rick was interested in) might not actually get together. Stupid stupid entity! Choosing two people to be his parents when they hadn’t even meet yet! So thinks Spanky – the name used for the entity in the book description (for a reason) and so I use now so I can stop saying ‘the entity’.

Spanky slides along, watching, feeling, visiting the parents and families of both Rick and Nina, sliding along, watching Dink and Pablo – two of Nina’s friends – interact. At first Spanky is worried about Pablo, less so about Dink – for Nina is really into Pablo. I mean really. Will Spanky not get to be born? Will he get reabsorbed? But! And this is something Nina actually knows but is suppressing, Pablo is a gay man. Massively gay. On the other hand . . . the friend that Spanky didn’t initially worry as much about, Dink, is really into Nina – the way Nina is into Pablo. Though Dink keeps pretending to herself (and mostly herself) that she isn’t a lesbian, so there’s still an opening for Rick. For Spanky to be born.

And time passes. Relationships build, fall apart (more background characters than main characters), and build again; romantic and family relationships fluctuate. Spanky continues watching and learning and knowing that once he is born that he will stop knowing – that he’ll go through the veil of forgetfulness and forget all that he knew.

Strange thing occurs, though, once Spanky actually ‘gets inside’ Nina (and yes there is a rather graphic depiction of Spanky ‘getting inside’). Spermy and (I’ve forgotten now what Spanky called Miss Eggy) have merged, but . . . XX. They have created an XX entity! Spanky is . . . a girl?!? Spanky is confused. Then considers the idea that he just saw Rick and Howie’s and the father’s interactions and wanted to be with them – tossing a baseball, playing a guitar – manly stuff (eventually learning more about ‘boy things’, ‘girl things’ and fluidity).

This is an awesome book, a great book, had me in tears, from laughter and otherwise. I want a sequel _ want to watch the life that I saw being created – live. Grow. Spanky, by the way, does not actually get named ‘Spanky’ – that’s just her name while ‘inside’ Nina. A joke – probably drug influenced (there’s a lot of drugs, alcohol, and stuff going on in this book).

Rating: 5.5

April 19 2017



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The Middle of Somewhere by Clifford Henderson

The Middle of Somewhere by Clifford Henderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a book that I had initially rated 4.75 stars, then immediately changed to 4.5 and then days later changed again to 4.75 stars. Why? Because I’d initially downgraded it because I thought I might be over rating the book – that I had just been caught up with the happy feelings and thoughts at the end of the book that I was in a kind of trance while rating the book. So I moved the rating down. But as days passed, I realized that the book was lingering with me. I had really enjoyed the book and still recalled the people in it and still wanted to wander amongst them.

So – the book – a 26 year old named Eadie flees her current situation. Flees her drugged up, probably cheating girlfriend Ruby and her horrible situation. Driving from San Francisco down to Tuscon to pick up a camper thingie, then sliding north towards Michigan to go to a ‘Womyn’s Music Festival’.

Slight problem, though. Car breaks down in a specific county in the panhandle of Texas. Literally next to a sign that says ‘Go with Go !’ – though it probably is supposed to say ‘Go with God!’ since it is a sign directly outside the local Baptist church. Two rather large women exit the church. Eadie doesn’t really want anything to do with them (her own prejudice coming to the forefront), but the two women – Heifer and Piggy get Eadie some help. First by getting the local car repair guy to get her car to his place, and her camper thingie back to Heifer and Piggy’s place. They are going to allow Eadie to stay there until her car is repaired.

Eadie has to get through a lot of prejudice, I mean her own, before she can resume with her life. And she does – her character metamorphizes or something.

Eadie meets a boy (what? NO! This is a lesbian Fiction book!!!) who is around . . . oh, 14? (oooh) that is somewhat mentally challenged, but a great kid. Buddy and Eadie meet, then meet again when Eadie goes to work at Buddy’s father’s store to help pay for her car repair (vaguely complicated – the church has a ‘Helping Hands’ fund – for whatever reason the Pastor, who Eadie eyeballs as a slick operator, extends funds to Eadie to repair her car on the condition that Eadie does some work – she was offered a few options and went with the one wherein she helped out at the local grocery store).

I don’t wish to convey each step of the way – to give a little plot outline, so I’ll move on. There are some great characters in this book. Another ‘less a romance than something else’ like the other two books I’ve read by this author, but of the three, this one has the ‘biggest’ romance story injected into it.

I both read and heard this book. I started off listening to the author read her own book – she does an outstanding job – but a) hearing instead of reading slows me down; b) I couldn’t listen as often as I could read (for reasons) so I ended up only doing about 40 to 50 percent of the book as an audio book, and the rest as a digital book.

Rating: 4.75

April 19 2017




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Behind the Mask: A Superhero Anthology

Behind the Mask: A Superhero Anthology by Tricia Reeks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


*I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in return for a fair review.*

Holy Angst Batman! This sure is an angsty bunch of stories. Super depressing. Anyone who decides to become a hero is stupid (judging by these stories). These are stories of the lives behind the mask. The mask of superheroes. Turns out superheroes have crappy lives, who knew, eh (maybe anyone who has watched most superhero movies and seen how angsty and depressing superheroes are)?

Cat Rambo: Ms. Liberty Gets a Haircut
FF; All Female Super Team

A group of all female superheroes boredly do stuff. Like bicker amongst themselves, interview potential new team members, fight others (and have the fight be basically described in the story in the super exciting way of one liners like 'fought parallel versions of ourselves').

One is a cyborg, another is an alien, another is a shape-shifting blob, another is 'the brain', etc. Two of them flirt with the idea of dating each other and then do. Hence my 'FF' tag.

Rating: 3.21

April 13 2017

Kate Marshall: Destroy the City with Me Tonight
Amnesia; Mental Illness; Forgetfulness

Apparently superheroes and super villains are a disease. A virus. One that can be sexually transmitted. And, as seems to be a common theme in this book based on the few stories I've read so far, being a superhero or villain is a super depressing angsty life to have. A curse, not a benefit.

Rating: 3.12

April 13 2017

Keith Frady: Fool
Super villain; mad scientist; secret lair; Tropical Island; volcano; robots

Just in case you didn't know - superheroes aren't the only ones with crappy, depressing, angsty lives - super villains also are super depressing people. The one here. Dr. Entropy who lives in a volcano on a tropical island building 'death machines' and stuff like that (also robots). He's inches away from pushing a giant red button that may or may not actually be connected to anything, though he believes that if he pushes it he will end all life on earth (well, at least human life). He is weirdly reluctant to push the button, though, and keeps monologuing. And doing even more monologuing. While starring up to see if anyone will stop him. Then more monologuing.

Rating: 3.03

April 13 2017

Seanan McGuire: Pedestal
Paparazzi

Paparazzi really are scum of the earth.

A young superhero attempts to go out in civilian clothing to get some stuff, like ice cream. You know normal human level stuff. She's afraid to go out, though, because, like how I started this mini-review, paparazzi are scum - as in, there are people who will thrust cameras in her face and take her picture.

Well, a blogger stops inches from her in the ice cream aisle and taunts her, then takes her photo. Posts it. Then, because the blogger left 'location' on - a giant squid appears and starts destroying the supermarket and the superhero has to fight the giant squid. Meanwhile the blogger continues to taunt her. Because, well - scum of the earth and stuff. I can seriously see an advantage of being a super-villain in this universe. I wanted to rip the blogger's balls off.

Of note: I believe this story falls within the same universe as McGuire's superhero series (Velveteen vs.).

Rating: 3.45

April 13 2017

Aimee Ogden: As I Fall Asleep
Mental Illness; Background LGBT Character*

A woman destroys a secret lab. Smashing computers and stuff. Beating up her former side-kick who, it appears, has turned traitor.

Story reminded me of one I'd read by Jude McLaughlin, the one where a reporter interviews an old retired superhero. Well no reporters here. Just an old ex-superhero with diminished mental abilities due to aging.

* The other woman in the story mentions how she had been on a date with a cute woman when she had to get involved in the action in this story

Rating: 3.7

April 13 2017

Jennifer Pullen: Meeting Someone in the 22nd Century or Until the Gears Quit Turning
Cyborg

A man meets a woman. Flirts. Dates. Marries. Time passes. Babies attempted to be born - fail. More time passes. Kind of both boring and annoying.

My greatest problem with this story is the part where it is set in the future and there kept being little comments here and there like 'what do you expect, hover-chairs, just because we live in the future?' Um, you don't live in the future; you live in your own present. But, meh, whatever. Close behind that 'greatest problem' would be the blunt style of the story. (Then there's the part where no superheroes are actually characters in the story).

Rating: 3.0

April 13 2017

Michael Milne: Inheritance
PoC, Family

A boy of a failed marriage grows older. His mother is an accountant. His father is . . . a superhero (and mostly absent father). The boy himself has 'inherited' super powers himself and attempts to fit in as best as he can. The mother, divorced from the father, dates others, marries others, many others. The end.

Rating: 3.39

April 13 2017

Lavie Tidhar: Heroes
Berlin, Spies, Cold War

Two superhero powered spies sit around in a room watching one of the gates into/out of East Berlin while waiting for the arrival of 'Medicus' - an ex-NAZI 'superhero' who was still in East Berlin when the Soviets took over back during WWII and then worked for them. The two spies, one from the USA, one from the UK, fight Jewish superheroes to 'help' the ex-NAZI go into US control.

Rating: 3.42

April 14 2017

Nathan Crowder: Madjack
Music; Aliens

A female musician plays on stage, suddenly she just 'knows' her father is dead, and everyone within, if I recall correctly, 30 rows begins crying (for this musician has emo power - sense others emotions/project emotions onto others).

Quite interesting and good story - I want more. So far it is/was the best story in the collection.

Rating: 4.30

April 14 2017

Patrick Flanagan: Quintessential Justice
Sidekick/support

This story is set from the point of view of a sidekick/support person – not a Robin type but more of a Alfred type. The kind of person who help get coffee, not the kind who will help fight bad guys.

Well there’s this superhero dude who is named QED. He goes about his day and the support person follows along behind. Constantly suppressing, and occasionally letting her eyeballs roll hard. For, you see, QED is a pompous type who needs constant reassurance and constant praise – so much so that there are paid ‘plants’ in the crowds who will cheer for QED. Oh, and once, the superhero actually does get into a fight with a villain.

Not a super exciting story but . . . there. And read.

Rating: 3.10

April 17 2017
Stephanie Lai: The Fall of the Jade Sword
Melbourne, Australia, Steampunk

A young Chinese woman grows up in some steampunk like Melbourne in some unknown date. She reads of a hero bouncing around named Jade Sword. She, the young woman, is not Jade Sword. She reads 'Art of War'. She sits on someone else's steam-bicycle and gets chased for her troubles. She falls off a roof. A few confuse her with Jade Sword. The real Jade Sword interacts with her, but it is unclear if the young woman realizes, in both encounters (one 'in costume', one 'in civilian guise'), that she has encountered Jade Sword. Refuses to be trained by Jade Sword. Or doesn't. Bloody confusing story.

Rating: 2.7

April 17 2017

Carrie Vaughn: Origin Story

A woman gets stuck in a bank robbery/hostage situation and expectedly recognizes the supervillain.

Nice enough story. Certain issues with it that I can't recall now beyond feeling that I had certain issues with it.

Rating: 3.73

April 17 2017

Ziggy Schutz: Eggshells
Young Adult

A young woman slip and falls, knocks her head against the ice. Has trouble remembering things. This symptoms go on long after they should have 'stopped' but she doesn't tell anyone and just continues on.

Quite a nice story really.

Rating: 4.55

April 17 2017

Chris Large: Salt City Blue

A rich powerful woman likes hanging out at bars. As a consequence, she begins glowing.

Interesting story.

Rating: 3.89

April 17 2017

Stuart Suffel: Birthright

A young woman in something like 2021 A.D. wanders around on motorcycle. Swims. Does stuff. She's elaborately described in the beginning - the thing that makes her a mutant - I couldn't make heads or tails of the description. So . . . she's different. And is the daughter of a 'birdwoman' - both mutated by the 'Darwin bombs' that had been dropped.

And . . . um . . not really sure what all else to say.

Rating: 3.50

April 17 2017

Sarah Pinsker: The Smoke Means It's Working
Sidekicks

A woman you wants to, someday, become a sidekick has gone to a special school so that she can operate a robot. Specifically a robot that helps wander wreckage, find people, and attempt to say to save them (as in, here's someone under debris, lift debris, lift person, carry person to an EMT person).

Neat story.

Rating: 4.15

April 17 2017

Keith Rosson: Torch Songs
Supervillains; carnivals

At a carnival several 'oddities' sit in a tent. People wander and stare at them. One used to be a supervillain, but is now just a shrivaled up thing. The point of view is with this 'thing', this 'Madam' of many names.

Interesting enough story. Deeper than my rating my suggest. But ultimately fails as being just a snippet. A snippet that ends with a cliff-hanger.

Rating: 3.30

April 18 2017

Matt Mikalatos: The Beard of Truth
Superheroes; Slice of life

A man, while driving around one day, suddenly realizes he has a superpower - the ability to, just by existing, get people to tell him the truth. Out-pourings of truth (though it seems more like - 'gets people to tell him super depressing things, while truthful, they are also the darkest things the person thinks is 'the truth').

Apparently people can just suddenly get superpowers. And, as part of that, they have to call a specific number. So he does. And stuff unfolds.

Just a small slice of life type story. Oddly satisfying for all of its shortness.

Rating: 4.15

April 18 2017

Adam R. Shannon: Over an Embattled City
Alternate Timelines/earths

A young woman of about 16 heads into the city, the city of New York, to . . . do many things. It is hard to say without being all spoiler-y.

She remembers another city, another time. She's like a character I read in something else, someone who had reached into their pocket and pulled out a coin. Had that years date on it. But some other guy was the head on the dime, the 10 cent piece. And that was how he knew he had slipped from one reality to another. Just like him, the lead character in this story 'slipped' from one reality to another - unlike him, the reality she came from is slowly disappearing - it's less of an alternate time/world/universe, and more of a reworking/unmaking/remaking of a specific time-line.

Neat story.

Rating: 4.22

April 18 2017

Kelly Link: Origin Story
Waitress

A waitress rolls around some ruins with the guy who she grew up with. Whose name is, apparently, Bisquit. Oh, and he's a superhero. He's in town for a parade. She's there because she lives there with her mom.

Weird and strange story.

Rating: 3.00

April 18 2017

OVERALL
Cat Rambo: Ms. Liberty Gets a Haircut: 3.21
Kate Marshall: Destroy the City with Me Tonight: 3.12
Keith Frady: Fool: 3.03
Seanan McGuire: Pedestal: 3.45
Aimee Ogden: As I Fall Asleep: 3.70
Jennifer Pullen: Meeting Someone in the 22nd Century or Until the Gears Quit Turning: 3.0
Michael Milne: Inheritance: 3.39
Lavie Tidhar: Heroes: 3.42
Nathan Crowder: Madjack: 4.3
Patrick Flanagan: Quintessential Justice: 3.10
Stephanie Lai: The Fall of the Jade Sword: 2.7
Carrie Vaughn: Origin Story: 3.73
Ziggy Schutz: Eggshells: 4.55
Chris Large: Salt City Blue: 3.89
Stuart Suffel: Birthright: 3.50
Sarah Pinsker: The Smoke Means It's Working: 4.15
Keith Rosson: Torch Songs: 3.30
Matt Mikalatos: The Beard of Truth: 4.15
Adam R. Shannon: Over an Embattled City: 4.22
Kelly Link: Origin Story: 3.00
Overall ----------------------: 3.5455

April 18 2017



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Puss in Prada by Marie Jacquelyn

Puss in Prada by Marie Jacquelyn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*I received this book from Less Than Three Press and Netgalley in return for a fair review.*

I wanted to read this short story ever since I saw it listed among the 'coming soon' stories over on Less Than Three Press' website. I wan't really sure what it was about beyond the 'Puss in Boots'/'Puss in Prada' angle and I think I knew it involved a guy who got transformed into a cat.

And so I excitedly read the story when I saw I could. And I was very happy to have been able to do so. Not sure how everyone else might feel about the story (though I saw while going to the review box that the story currently has a 5 star average rating (though that might be based on 1, or 3 ratings)), but I really liked it. Loved it.

There is one point of view and two main characters - both of whom live in the same apartment (not actually sure it's an apartment, but I'll go with that). Ethan and Alex dated at some point, as humans. But at some point before the start of this story, six months?, they broke up. Ethan runs the family pastry store and is quite good at it, at baking and stuff. Alex? Alex is a very successful writer and . . . very much a dick who didn't take care of himself and seemed destined for an early grave.

Despite breaking up about six months ago, the two currently live together. There's a reason for that, of course. And that reason is . . . . Alex got turned into a cat by a witch. No, really, a cat. Luckily for him, he can still talk and was able to get Ethan to help him. And so Alex spends his days being a cat, occasionally texting Ethan, occasionally attempting to continue be a writer (on the internet, no one knows you are a cat . . . or on the computer typing a book one letter at a time).

Alex, who at some point I should mention is the POV, and Ethan have a neat little situation going on. They are quite fun to watch together. Great characterization/dynamic.

Loved the story. Want to read more cat based stories. Would write more but this is a short story we are talking about so it's hard not to accidentally reveal everything while bumbling along in a review, so I'll cut that part of the review short.

Rating: 5.5

April 15 2017




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Loneliness Ebbs Deep by Adrian J. Smith and Rachael Orman

Loneliness Ebbs Deep by Adrian J. Smith




*I received this book from Less Than Three Press and Netgalley in return for a fair review.*

I really have no idea how to rate this short story. I'm not just saying that, tis true - no clue how to rate this weird wacky story. I picked it up because this is one of the few times I've actually spotted an author I've read before on Netgalley (as in, I'd read the author previously to seeing anything by them on NetGalley and I rarely see authors on there who I have read before). And, a plus, it was lesbian fiction by this author who I'd only ever read MF fiction by. Both erotica (this story here and the book I'd read).

Slight problem encountered initially. Forget about the squid part (just briefly forget). The main character? Acted super naive and I felt very uncomfortable. Like I was witnessing someone around 11 to 13 finding that their body . . . felt certain things if touched in certain ways. Why? Because that's literally how the character acted. Like a little girl who had never touched herself before and had never even thought of doing anything remotely like that - before this story here. Sure, somewhere along the way the reader learns that the character is '19 cycles', but what the bloody hell does that mean? I think I'm supposed to take that to mean 19 years but . . . I'm not sure I can - I mean, it seems vaguely more likely to mean months (but but, she can't be 19 months! - let me remind people that there is a weresquid in this story as well, stuff).

Truth be told - the only way I was able to get through this story without gagging when each new wacky thing turned up was to think of this weird situation like an episode of Stargate I'd seen once. There the team arrived and found a thriving civilization that lived in a village. But they stuck to that village and were forbidden to go beyond it's borders (like here in this story - the girl, along with the others, were forbidden to go beyond the borders of the village; I realize that there are other stories that have 'forbidden borders', but I've mostly not seen them so . . . ). This thriving society, on the television show episode, were quite promiscious and happy. Kind of dim-witted but meh. Then at a certain moment (I forget if a bell rang, or if the sun just moved into a certain position) and everyone fell over asleep (everyone including Jack O'Neill, the only SG-1 person who ate food). Well, turns out that everyone there only lived a year and aged rapidly. So I saw this story here in that light, had to. I'd have run screaming in the other direction otherwise. This way I can take '19 cycles' to mean roughly 19 human years (even if maybe she really did mean 19 months).

Right, so. Young woman, naked, is drawn to explore the border area. Especially towards a 'forbidden zone' which happens to have a lake. While there she clears out an area near the lake and begins to masturbate, like, you know, you do when you wander into a forbidden zone. Then a woman appears and . . . stuff.

Okay, like I said, I was already feeling vaguely icky about the super naive young woman dyanmic. Now we have literal 'monster sex' scenes and I'm back to 'how the fuck do I rate this story'? No, seriously, monster sex. Mind, it was, at first, completely different than I had expected ((view spoiler)[I did know that there was a weresquid involved in this story, and I did know - from a review I think,
that some of the action resembled 'tentacle sex' - not exactly something I wished to read but whatever. What I didn't expect was for the first bit of squid/human sex to involve the human .
. . pleasuring the squid. I mean . . . eww. (hide spoiler)]).

Short story. Not much to it. Kind of depressing, actually, when I thought about it. Here we have a curious exploring type young woman and . . . (view spoiler)[she spends the next 500 'cycles' swimming around a lake as a squid. Instead of, you know, continuing with her curious nature, there's no real advancement here. Just 'playing with myself is fun'. to 'playing with myself with another is fun'. To 'playing with a squid is fun . . . playing with another squid while a squid is fun . . . it's kind of lonely now . . . oh! someone has finally come to the lake! I'll watch them masturbate!' What a life, eh? Entirely obsessed with masturbation. And basically nothing else. And oh, right, this was no where close to being anything like a Romance story, and the whole super naive young woman who might be way too young angle plus all that squid stuff, took the sex out of the erotic column. Just . . . words. Others are better at wording what I mean correctly. Sadly. Bluntly: I do not find children or their actions erotic, nor do I find sex with squids, or between squids to be erotic. Even if sex is involved. (hide spoiler)]

Rating: .... no rating.

April 15 2017



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Rest Home Runaways by Clifford Henderson

Rest Home Runaways by Clifford Henderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


You could say that there were three main stories here, three plotlines to follow – all three of which have their own lead POV. Two of the three are awesome brilliant great stories. The third was kind of . . . okay-ish.

Plotline One: Mac Ronzio and his wife live in his daughter (and daughter-in-law’s) house. Mac’s in his 80s (I believe, or maybe that’s just Cora who is in her 80s and I ‘assumed’ stuff I shouldn’t have), has vision trouble (can only see out of the side of his eyes), and can no longer do much of what he used to do (like repair things). The plotline starts with Mac putting a puzzle together with the help of his wife. Somewhere along the way Mac goes to make tea but is somewhat forgetful and forgets certain things. Wanders back to the puzzle – continues working on it. Effie, the wife, wanders into the kitchen and notes that Mac forgot to do stuff, like put the lid on the tea-kettle and other stuff, and that she’d do it.

Time passes. Massive waves of sound assault Mac’s ears. Ringing. Ringing. Mac looks over and notices waves of black smoke coming out of the kitchen. He mutters to his wife something like ‘I thought you were taking care of it!’ to which his wife, naturally, responds with something like ‘I’m dead, moron.’ And then Mac remembers (Mac doesn’t exactly have memory issues so much as he sees his dead wife and occasionally forgets that she is dead). But he is still being engulfed by waves of smoke.

Plotline One follows Mac and his dead wife as he moves from living with his daughter and daughter-in-law to living in an old person’s home, then fleeing said old person’s home.

Plotline Two: Morgan Ronzio putters around in a burned out kitchen. Starring at things, waiting for her wife Treat to appear, waiting for Treat’s nephew/contractor to appear. Randomly eats cheese (well, food, I’ve made it cheese for no known reason). Worries about her wife and whether the wife is fooling around – knows her relationship is in trouble, and it wasn’t helped that her father was living with them (especially as he was in the room across the hall which killed the little sex they still had). Is sad that she had to put her father into an old folk’s home. And to make matters worse, it’s Treat who wanted Mac to stay – as the book puts it, paraphrasing – she’s, Treat, Mexican and they care for family.

Plotline Two follows 50+ year old Morgan as she putters around worried about her father and her wife, and suffers waves of hot flashes. And, eventually, chasing after her fleeing father.

Plotline Three: Cora moved into the old folk’s home because of issues with her husband. He’s gone now, but she hasn’t left because she’s gotten used to living there – and her friends are there. Friends like Sonia and Nell. One day the old folk’s home goes on an outing (all but those in wheelchairs since the bus that can handle that kind of thing is in the shop). While visiting the mall and waiting for all the old people to be removed from the van and herded into the mall, the three women watch as the van is rear-ended, watch as their van driver (who ends up sliding over to plotline two and wandering with Morgan while Morgan chases Mac, so I should have gotten his name but I forget it now – I’ll call him Jake just to give him a name) argues with the teen driver who rear-ended the van. Cora counts. One person is wandering across the parking lot! The classic car crazed old man is collected (I believe this actually occurred before the rear-ending, but whatever). But . . . another person is missing! Mac! An assumption is made that he went in to use the restroom. Time passes. Hot sun cooks old people. More time passes. Jake continues arguing with the teen. Cora and/or one of her two friends notice Mac driving past in a utility cart. He’s fleeing! Cora, Nell, and Sonia start to go after him, then notice – the keys are still in the van! And so, naturally, they take the van. By this point, though, they’ve lost track of Mac. And are somewhat aimlessly driving around.

Plotline Three follows the three women as they wander in a van searching for Mac.

Plotline One and Three – all the ones with the old folks, were great fun – exciting, touching, moving. Plotline two, and the reason why this book falls into ‘Lesbian Fiction’, was less fun. Morgan isn’t exactly fun to hang around with inside her head. She’s a bundle of nerves, overheating from the sun, from hot flashes, from life; worrying about everything; feeling waves of guilt; feeling waves of jealousy; feelings . . . lots and lots of stuff. But there were some fun moments with Morgan as well, even a few touching ones – still, less fun than the other two plotlines.

This is a book that I have spent time on and off my maybe pile. I wasn’t really sure what it might be about, really, nor if I really wanted to read yet another road trip book. But this was different than I expected (I kind of had in my mind that it’d be some variation of Robin Alexander’s story about the two old women who drag two younger women along on a road trip (The Trip) – wasn’t so much that I didn’t like that story, I liked it well enough, it was more I’d already read it – but this story here, the Rest Home Runaways one, is nothing like that story – for one thing, the three different groups of people are all off on their own adventures, not all together in one massive RV).

This was a great multi-generational/multi-cultural journey through a small section, about 126 mile section, of California. From boring conservative Fresno to cool breezy, nude-beach having Santa Cruz.

I look forward to trying another book by this author (who is neither a large dog (Clifford the Big Red Dog) nor a man).

Rating: 4.44

April 14 2017



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Phantom Pains (The Arcadia Project, #2) by Mishell Baker

Phantom Pains by Mishell Baker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read this entire two book series back to back – literally starting the second book seconds after ending the first, so my review might possibly combine the two books by accident. But I’ll try to keep things separate.

This book, the second one in the series, opens four months after the end of the first book. Millie now works as an assistant for a famous actress, though that actress is now retired and runs a brand new movie studio (Valiant Studios, or some name like that). Millie isn’t exactly the best at certain things, but she does have some positive traits that correspond to her job. Though even there she has off and on days based on her ‘issues’ (Borderline Personality Disorder).

Part of her task at the studio involves attempting to do ‘something’ about ‘Studio 13’ (last seen in the prior book). The writer/show runner of the brand-new and currently popular television series really wants that studio because her current one is super small. Problem though – there’s a ‘gate’ sitting in the middle of the studio. Caryl stops by to inspect the studio, but before much inspecting could occur, something that appears to be a ghost pops up.

Naturally this and for other reasons, Millie is pulled back into helping the Arcadia Project deal with ‘stuff’. Like, say, murders, kings, queens, soul mates, and talking cats.

Well written brilliant book. I want more. (there’s a good chance I’d would have written more but it is hard to do when a lot of what I’d have said I already slid into the prior books review)

Rating: 5.5

April 13 2017




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Borderline (The Arcadia Project, #1) by Mishell Baker

Borderline by Mishell Baker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read this entire two book series back to back – literally starting the second book seconds after ending the first, so my review might possibly combine the two books by accident. But I’ll try to keep things separate.

The book, the first one, the one this review is attached to, opens with a young woman resting in a wheelchair in a mental institution (there might be a different name for the place, but that’s how I was thinking of it – mental institution, I mean, it is filled with ‘crazy’ people. Another woman has suddenly appeared before the one in the wheelchair (let’s help here by using names; the one in the wheelchair is Millie, the one not in the wheelchair is Caryl).

Caryl and Millie talk in Millie’s room. Apparently Caryl works for an organization, Arcadia Project, which helps people like Millie find creative work in Hollywood. Millie, you see, had been a rapidly rising young director before she found herself in the insane asylum (oops, mental institution), so she does have some connections to Hollywood (more specifically Millie had been attending UCLA and had directed several films, including one that ended up at a film festival (a film that Millie later learns apparently was seen by many many important people, including Caryl). Without elaborating more on the organization or the job, Caryl basically tells Millie to pack up all of her stuff and meet her in a specific park the next day.

I do not wish to recreate the entirety of the book, so let’s move on by saying ‘Millie kept her appointment with Caryl and then probationally joined the Arcadia Project, though was somewhat disappointed to find out that her first ‘job’ would be in a less creative role than she expected (something like first assistant . . . something or other, doesn’t matter, she never actually worked in that role).’ Millie’s first actual assignment, though, immediately lead to Millie learning that the organization is more than just a nice little place that helps mentally and physically challenged individuals find work – it actually acts as, well the book description itself says (see, now if Millie could have read that description . . . ) – the organization ‘oversees relations between Hollywood and Fairyland’ (not that I recall ‘Fairyland’ actually ever called ‘Fairyland’ (it’s the Arcadia of the ‘Arcadia Project’). Millie’s first assignment involves going with a partner to investigate why a specific individual, an actor (slash fae), hadn’t returned to Arcadia when his time was up. There is a lot of investigating going on in this book.

Now let’s cut to the chase, so to speak: basically everyone in the Arcadia Project organization is, in some way, mentally . . . hmms . . challenged? Though one of the rules is not asking questions of others so . . . how exactly everyone fits in is not always known. But still, yes, basically everyone has some mental illness. Millie herself has borderline personality disorder (also she lacks the bottom half of her legs and one knee). What does the organization do? As already noted – oversee relations between Hollywood and Arcadia. Why are there ‘relations’? Because, it appears, some, not all, but some fae have ‘echoes’, soul mates, among humans. And when they match up – they create great things (the human ends up becoming massively creatively productive through the connection while the fae gets things like the ability to think logically, pay attention to time and dates, and stuff like that (in their natural state, Fae kind of float along, less connected to rational thought, more connected to emotional, and with no sense of time)).

So, that’s what the first book is about – a Bilateral Amputee with Borderline Personality Disorder works as a newbie/probational agent of the Arcadia Project investigating strange things – like the missing actor/fae. There is also the bit about how Millie kind of lusts after any and everyone regardless of gender, but let’s leave it at that.

Of note: the book description calls Millie a ‘paraplegic screenwriter’. I really have no idea if someone who is a bilateral amputee is also considered ‘paraplegic’ but I have a suspicion that the word should not be used in this case (but, again, I’ve no idea if I’m wrong with that – ‘Paraplegia can occur after a spinal cord injury. It's caused by damage to the vertebrae, ligaments, or disks of the spinal column. Paraplegia is the loss of muscle function in the lower half of the body, including both legs.’ – well, yes, Millie has lost muscle function in the lower half of her body – specifically the area of her legs which no longer exist because they were amputated). Screenwriter? Well, that’s just wrong. I might not know if paraplegic is wrong or not, but I know screenwriter is wrong. Millie was a director not a screenwriter – there’s even a moment in the book when Millie tells someone that they knew that they couldn’t be a screenwriter and so knew she would need to get friendly with them (or some words that vaguely correspond to that idea).

Right so – I randomly added this book to my maybe pile at some point. Then again randomly glanced at a sample while going down my shelves looking for something to read. And the sample pulled me in, so I bought the book. Then devoured the book like it was a lamb and I was a lion (I assume a lion would eat a lamb). Great, fun, thrilling book.

Rating: 5.5

April 13 2017



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Benched by Blythe Rippon

Benched by Blythe Rippon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*I received this book from the publisher in return for a fair review.*

The book I read last year, and was published three years ago, Barring Complications, has a squeal - that sequel being this book here. It was one of those books that I felt might be suited for a sequel, but that one could never happen. And yet, here we are - sequel.

Why did I think a sequel could never happen? Because the author had written themselves into something of a trap - published roughly 7 to 8 months before the real life USA Supreme Court came to its own conclusions about a specific legal matter. The same legal matter, marriage equality (to be simplistic) one 'determined' by the fictional USA Supreme Court in 'Barring Complications' - but the court in the book and in real life came to different conclusions. The one in the book (view spoiler)[came to a decision that was partially for marriage equality (I've forgotten now exactly what, but it was a limited decision in the book, a huge one, but not as broad as the real life Supreme Court decision) (hide spoiler)]. Why would this result put the author into an awkward position? Because any sequel would have to 'get around' the fact that the decisions reached were different - and that the book was now in some kind of alternative universe.

So, what did the author do? Well, simple and unspoilery - the author had a separate Supreme Court case occur in between the prior book and this book that brought the book world and the real world back into alignment legally. And so, out of that 'trap'. And so a sequel can and did occur.

So, what is this specific book about? There were several cases of importance, two of which play prominent roles in this book (the others are there but background). Both, oddly enough, cases in which Genevieve Fornier played a leading role. One case is an older one that has now reached the USA Supreme Court, and the other one still at the district court level. But, and to pull back to what this paragraph is supposed to be about, the book is also about two strong women attempting to be a couple in a relatively public setting and in which their careers can and do ‘rub against’ each other in potentially ethically problematic ways. Plus, Victoria is still kind of stiff, and Genevieve feels kind of stifled.

The district court case involves a young prisoner in a Michigan prison who is transgender. And Genevieve and her organization, HER, is fighting the good fight as plaintiffs against the state – fighting for the state to pay for the transition surgery. Meanwhile the USA Supreme Court case involves family; specifically . . .. I do not have a simple way to word it. Though a simple phrase was used in the book. Mmphs. Can’t recall what that phrase was now. Right, so – the supreme court case involved the rights of parents to be parents of their own children, specifically when the parents are of the same gender; the issue in the case involved a couple from California who moved to Louisiana – and lost one court cases and won the other (lost the court case in California to have the non-biological mother be added as the ‘second parent’ of the children because, forgot exact wording now, but ‘redundant’ since they are already married; while the other case was won in Louisiana (Louisiana was not recognizing California’s birth certificates (which list both mothers), and was not recognizing the non-biological mother as a parent of the children). Even though they won in Louisiana it is still an issue - because the case kept getting appealed and now finds itself appealed up to the USA Supreme Court.

Right, so that’s mostly what’s going on legally in this book. Transgender issues and parental rights for LGBT couples. On the personal front, and yes a huge amount of time is spent in that realm – as mentioned two women struggle in this book to accept being a couple together in the public eye. One a Supreme Court justice, the other a lawyer who has and potentially will again in the future argue court cases in front of said justice (and the complications that might ensue because of that).

Well, as said, one of the two court cases has reached the Supreme Court, and both involved Genevieve as the lead attorney, so the professional and legal worlds collided into each other in this book. Bad things resulted.

This was a rather interesting book that was quite entertaining and mostly a pleasure to read. Though I had certain ‘issues’ with both of the lead women (and yes, I should have mentioned that – two point of views, one for Genevieve, one for Supreme Court Justice Victoria Willoughby). As in, at times I didn’t like either of their actions or reactions.

Crap. I just looked at the book description. I haven’t really written anything that wasn’t already there. Um, oops. Oh, right, that was the simple phrase I could have used earlier – ‘same-sex parental rights’.

Into this mix comes a gorgeous, of course, woman who is the new head of one of the three organizations in which HER both competes with and cooperates with in LGBTQIA matters. Penelope. Former professor, US Diplomat to France, lawyer, LGBT rights lawyer. And I mention her because one of the two lead women in this book end up lusting after her, and so something of a limited love triangle develops. Developed right around the same time I was thinking, while reading the book, that I didn’t really like Victoria and Genevieve as a couple.

Truth be told, there’s a solid argument that could be made that corresponds to what one of the two lead woman think or said at some point in the book – they both loved the idea of them as a couple more than loved the other (to which the other came back with a solid argument refuting that idea). I mention, though, because there really did seem to be a lot more chemistry between Penelope and Genevieve than anything Genevieve and Victoria ever shared (which seemed to be more of a strained love-hate relationship built on betrayal (which isn’t exactly a spoiler, since I’m referring to something that happened way before even the first book in this series occurred, when one dumped the other in law school because they didn’t want to admit, to the public, that they were a lesbian because of the idea that’d have negative ramifications possible future work)).

Long and short, despite anything I do or do not say here, this was an enjoyable read. Sometimes relying more heavily on legal issues, sometimes political, sometimes relationship to push the book along. Rarely do both the professional and the personal dynamics work in concert to advance the course of the book, though.

Oh, something I should maybe have started off my review with (I can move it there now, but, meh) - can I read this book as a stand-alone? - hmm, possibly? I would not recommend it though. Same lead couple in both books. With this book’s action starting roughly a year or 2 after the end of the last book. Things of importance were strongly touched on in this book that are explained/mentioned in the prior book, but not deeply elaborated upon in this book.

I would recommend this series, starting with ‘Barring Complications’.

Rating: 4.25

April 11 2017



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Licit Cusp by Weebod

Licit Cusp by Weebod

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is my third book that I’ve read by this author. Not tremendously important but . . ..

This book stars Shona MacLeod, 18 year old from a small island off the coast of Scotland. The book opens with her starting her college education at a university in Edinburgh Scotland. Oh, and it’s 1986. Her father, a very angry dickish kind of asshole, forces her to stay at a specific house while in Edinburgh, one with a strict landlady type – and the other guests are like her, young students from far islands and the like. Being a dick, the father continues his long-distance control of his daughter by ‘giving her’ a tiny little bit of money each week (through the landlady person) for her lunches and stuff. Barely enough for that, though. A crappy way to spend college, so Shona begins to rebel almost immediately by getting a job – more so she can save up to buy a walkman than because she wants to rebel, but still.

By a bit of fate, Shona ended up in a bar one night – and ended up getting a job in this specific location. She doesn’t look it, but she is 18, which is legal drinking age in Scotland in 1986. She gets the job from Toni Martin, the person who manages the place (I forget now if Toni is 24 or 26).

Another ‘almost immediately’ occurs when Shona begins feeling odd things about Toni. Over a longish period of time the two grow close, Shona comes to realize what these feelings mean, and her relationship with her family morphs. Starting off with her decision to break away and become more independent (which is helped by the fact that the money for the university is actually hers – a grant check/thingie gets sent to her, she just turned it over to her father for this semester/year, but will keep it for next – that’s the plan at least).

This really is a book about family, and coming to understand oneself. Shona coming to understand herself, and her lesbianness. And her relationship with her father, mother, two sisters, and brother (more with her parents and one of her sisters, though the other siblings play their small part as well).

This really is a neat look at bits of Scotland I hadn’t been able to see before. An overall all-around great book. Naturally I’m now regretting waiting 2 or 3 days before writing a review. The book is still lodged in my mind – I recall the young woman going off to college, riding the ferry, feeling constrained in the dorm, getting that bar job, the changing nature of her relationship with Toni and her family, but . . . I do not really know what all to put in this review. Without being spoiler-y ((view spoiler)[like I could mention that one of her sisters ends up wandering over from the island to join Shona, for important reasons (view spoiler)[pregnancy (hide spoiler)] or mention . . . when Toni got beaten up . . or the stuff about how Toni’s drunk father once groped Shona . . . or how Toni's brother is in jail (though at some point would father a child with an 18 year old woman who would in turn die at the age of 22, leaving the youngster to be raised by the grandparents who, for whatever reason, do not appear to be in this book, though Fran – that offspring, and the grandfather appear in the book that follows this one - Defensive Mindset. But all of that is kind of spoiler-y (hide spoiler)]).

Good solid book. I’ll leave with one last thought: Toni Martin and, to a lesser extent Shona McLeod and Eddie, turn up in a later book (Defensive Mindset.)

Edinburgh:
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

Edinburgh University:
(view spoiler)[[image error] (hide spoiler)]

Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]


Rating: 4.48

April 11 2017



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Book url: http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/w/weebod_licitcusp1.html

Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn

Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Hate leaving a review box empty. So… (sorry about the names, my digital book is dead at the moment, so I cannot get all of the names correct).

The book stars Evie Tanaka who is 26, half Japanese, and the assistant to a superhero named Aveda Jupiter (aka Annie – Chinese). Mentioning the Asian backgrounds is important because that’s how the two became friends – being the only two Asian children in their kindergarten and having the ‘white students’ pick on them and make fun of them (especially since both had parents who would send along ‘strange’ food stuffs with their kids.

Evie was, apparently, traumatized by the early bullying to the point that she can’t stand the idea of standing out, having the light on her, etc. Annie (Aveda), on the other hand, made it her life goal to have the light on herself, while also backing up and helping Evie. The two grew up together, occasionally having a few others join their very small ‘gang’, like Simon (who Evie kind of sees as a sibling, though she occasionally allows herself to examine him to see if she feels any kind of lust towards him, but she just can’t seem to get there, no lust for her). Somewhere along the way, while growing up, they picked up on this film (or is it more?) from Asia (Hong Kong maybe) called The Heroic Trio starring three female superhero types. One: Asian people to look up to and are heroes; two: female Asian people . . . etc. etc. So, naturally, they absorbed that into their lives to the point that Annie decided to attempt to become some kind of superhero.

https://youtu.be/pXfNg6NN3C4



Somewhere around both of their 18th birthday the demons invaded. And promptly fell over dead. Proceeding the invasion was an earthquake and a rip in . . . um . . . the dimension? Something. They fell over dead ‘for reasons’ that I won’t go into here. But those were the ‘human shaped demons’ – after that failed invasion, occasionally more ‘portals’ would open and the demon equivalent of puppies would attack – imprinting on anything they see once they get through the portal (like, the book opens with Aveda fighting ‘cupcake demons’ in a cupcake shop while Evie darts around attempting to film the action).

The important reason why I made a big point about this first invasion, though, is the part wherein some of the people nearish to the first portal opening ended up with superpowers. Like the guy who . . . can marginally change the temperature in the room. Or the woman who is kind of like a human GPS . . . for automobiles (she can track autos and only autos). Or the woman who has very weak . . . um . . I forgot name but the very weak ability to make things ‘come to her’ (using mind, getting something to wiggle pop up and fly to her; mostly she can get them to wiggle) – that’s the ‘superpower’ that the superhero in San Francisco has – though the people who follow her and are her fans do not actually know that. Since it really is a weak-ass power. One of them did end up with a major high level superpower, though, but . . . more later.

Right, so, after that cupcake attack Aveda returned to HQ (their base, which they call ‘HQ’, presumably meaning Headquarters though I do not know if HQ is ever anything other than HQ in the book) and angrily beat up some punching bags. Aveda is kind of high maintenance, rage-y, and a self centered bitch. While beating up punching bags she apparently twisted her ankle. Badly. She has to be off her feet for 6 to 8 weeks. But San Francisco needs their superhero!!!! Or something. So the assistant has to put on Aveda’s costume and go out and about.

Fails immediately. More in having the ‘simple’ event she was just supposed to show up at have a portal of demons appear. Menace her. And require her to . . . . explode them with her fire ball power. Yeah, see, Evie is the one who ended up with the actual super duper high level superpower. But she’s repressed it as much as she can. Because . . . (I can say, but spoilers, let’s just say she fears to become a monster and leave it at that). So how’d Evie pretend to be Aveda? Sure both are descendants of people from Asia but . . . one is half-Japanese, other is Chinese, and . . . well, the most they really have in common is being roughly the same height (I think if I recall correctly). So . . . relying on people being unable to tell two Asian people apart? Well, no, this is where Simon comes in – he also got a power when the human-shaped demons fell over dead roughly 8 years ago – he’s something of a wizard/magic user. And has the ability to give someone a charm which will allow them to look like something else – temporarily.

So – while Aveda continues to recuperate, Evie continues to pretend to be Aveda, continues trying to be mother figure to her younger sister Bea (who is something like 16/17), and continue to repress her emotions and sex drive (until she doesn’t . . . and the book becomes a humping book). Meanwhile, to round out the cast, there’s Nate, the super muscular geek who basically lives in the basement and pokes at alien/demon stuff and creates spreadsheets. And also Maisy and Shnasty (okay, I might have their names wrong – something like that, Maisy being a gossip blogger and the S one being her sidekick). Oh, and then there’s the lesbian player – um . . . Lucy? I think her name was Lucy. She’s the weapons/bodyguard/trainer person. And she likes humping every woman who her eye falls onto. So, she’s the token background LGBT character in the book.

And . . um. Okay, so I was reluctant to read this book because that whole ‘I’ll self-sacrifice for your glory oh glorious one’ type assistant/super important person dynamic is one I want nothing (or very little) to do with. But I got myself to try this one because of the superhero thingie. And I am glad I did because this actually was quite fun. Even if there was all that heterosexual sex going on, still fun book.

Can’t wait for books 2 and 3.

Rating: 4.50

April 11 2017



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Pearls Hogs the Road: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury by Stephan Pastis

Pearls Hogs the Road: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury
by Stephan Pastis
Pages: 264
Date: April 25 2017
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Series: Pearls Before Swine

Review
Rating: 4.44
Read: 4/8/2017-4/9/2017

*I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley in return for a fair review.*


This is a Treasury instead of a Collection which means that it contains two of the smaller 'collections'. Which two? hmms. Not sure. I do know that it contains "18 months' worth of Pearls strips." because the introduction says so. That tidbit plus the part wherein three of the comic strips were "drawn by Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson, who, in 2014, ended a 19-year hiatus fromt eh comics page to draw three Pearls Before Swine strips."So, if nothing else, this Treasury contains that important bit of comics - three Waterson drawn comic strips. - And then I read the introduction. And it was hilarious. All about attempting to contact Bill Watterson, workign with him, etc. And then the introduction indicated where I could find the Watterson strips so obviously . . . I finished reaing the introduction. But once that was done, I hurriedly turned to those pages and gazed upon them (okay, I wrote that I did. Now I'll go gaze upon them; and so I read those three strips, and they were brilliant). And then I read the rest of the book. The end. Yay screamed . . . um . . . something screaming.

That was a neat hook to use, to pull myself into and through writing something, anything. Otherwise . . . what exactly do I write? 'The comic strips were good, they were funny - when the were, occasionally flat, enjoyable experience' - seems the safest without me going line by line and writing a 900 page treastise on Stephan Pastis's comic book. Because that's what I tend to do when I review comic books I pick up from Netgalley - ramble in a text box while reading. Occasionally inserting things like '*giggles* - you had to be there'. Fun, right? So - glad I had a hook to sink into the fish shaped . . . um . . . I need another word than hook, I already used it. mmphs.

Well, there is obviously something else I could mention - there are little wiggly lines underneath the comic strips - they form letters/words/sentences - Pastis has left thoughts on his comic strips. I do not recall if I've seen his thoughts before in such a manner. This is what I get for reading collections instead of treasuries, I assume. And there are some rather hilarious bits in those sentences (as, for example: "Whenever I'm unsure about something in the strip, I check Wikipedia, because whoever does the page for Pearls knows more about the strip than I do."). Occasionally I found myself laughing loudly - and realize that it wasn't because of the comic but because of the words under it. And then I'll giggle a few times, later, and realize it was because of the comic and not the words (see, this is what I was saying earlier, this is kind of boring. I stop now).

Rating: 4.44

April 8 2017

Defensive Mindset by Wendy Temple

Defensive Mindset by Wendy Temple
Pages: 276
Publication Date: April 19 2017
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Series: None though 2 characters that are minor characters in this book previously appeared as main characters in 'Licit Cusp' by Weebod

Review
Rating: 4.0
Read: April 6 2017

*I received this book from the publisher, in return for a fair review.*

This is the second full length novel that I’ve read by this author. A strange sentence, I’m sure, to anyone who happened to glance at the author’s page on GoodReads before reading my review (or, you know, ever looked at it . . . or something). Listed is this book here and a short story collection with many different authors included in it. So, second full length novel that I’ve read? Well, the other one I read was a book about an undercover police officer in Scotland that got released sometime around 2009, or thereabouts, titled Innocent Catch, and released under the author byline of ‘Weebod’.

Mind you, I did not know of the connection between this author and that author until I reached the very last page of this book and saw that ‘contact the author at’ and then an email address. This is the same email address for Weebod. Interesting little jolt of recognition to hit me unexpectedly. Don’t usually read something by a brand new to me author only to suddenly realize I’d read them before.

Right, so, this specific novel itself.

This novel stars two football/soccer players in Edinburgh. One is the straitlaced, ‘doesn’t like to drink’ rule follower type, who just loves – passionately loves – football, that’d be Jessie Grainger. The other is the exact opposite – Fran Doherty (so glad that the author didn’t go with a first name of Shannon there) dislikes rules, loves drinking/drugs/breaking rules, or at least that was Fran. She’s been clean and sober for 2 years now, ever since getting out of jail, but there’s a very strong draw to fall back into her addictions – because that is what she suffers – massive addictions. Oh, and to further the ‘opposites’ part – unlike Jessie, Fran plays football for the paycheck, not out of love for the game.

I know I’ve read others who have had issues with this book. Not sure yet what they were since I’ve attempted to not read any reviews before I read the book and wrote my own review, but I did happen to notice a few negative ratings. Hmm . . . since I don’t know specifically what the negatives they saw were, I can’t say whether or not I saw them too or . . well, mmphs, this is a stupid paragraph here.

Right, so. Book opens with Jessie playing in the final games of a football season, meaningless games because her team is already out of the running for the league title, though they are currently in second place. On the opposite side of the pitch, playing for the other team is Fran – and they meet constantly during the game, literally, physically. With a bunch of sliding tackles, close touches, and outright groping (yes, literally, while lined up for a penalty kick, Fran had her hands on Jessie’s breasts and basically groped her – which is apparently okay in football). Well, naturally, Jessie being such a rule follower . . . had enough of it and slapped Fran in the face, hard. Got a red card for that – will start the next season missing three matches.

Story then skips forward to the next season (which, apparently, was something like a week or 8 after the end of the last season – that’s one of my problems with this book, I really had no idea of the time scale here, it really seemed like things occurred right after each other, and, in fairness, for all I know they do. I do not know enough about football to know if it is odd for one season to start something like 3 weeks after the last one ended; only thing I do know is that they don’t play in the summer . . . apparently. Maybe they only have three weeks of summer in Scotland). Jessie is excited to start a new year, annoyed that she’s benched for three matches, but excited. The coach, Tom, keeps bouncing in and out of the room. Teammates are getting ready for training. Tom bounces in and out again. Finally he announces the new additions to the team which includes a player to help with some defensive liabilities – one Fran Doherty. Naturally Jessie’s kind of annoyed by this issue.

And so, before I recap the entire book in my review, I move on. Two Point of Views – Fran Doherty – ‘burnt-out barmaid with a past as messed up as her attitude’ (as the book description puts it – she’s not a barmaid though, she’s the person running the property for her grandfather Harry who had a stroke – hotel and bar, though she’s only operating the bar until, well – not going to spoil everything); and Jessie Grainger . . . who doesn’t have a good little description I can lift from the book description. Well, as noted, Jessie is a star footballer (played for the UK in the Olympics, and for Scotland in . . . um, book didn’t say, assume it’s something like World Cup or something), and, because female football players aren’t exactly paid massive wads of cash, she is also a ‘businesswoman’ (something to do with real estate, I believe, handling the Edinburgh office for her father’s company (which had been founded by that father’s father)).

Fran and Jessie clash. Action on and off the pitch occurs. Questions are raised and never answered, well some (like, well maybe it got answered and I missed it, but I’ve no real idea how old the people in this book are. I know the coach is something like 30, he was injured at 28, began coaching, and it’s two years later; Nikki, Fran’s godmother, ‘looks like she’s in her mid-fifties’, as one character put it – and if I followed the clues: 1) Fran’s mother had Fran when she was 18, dead at 22; 2) Nikki was friends of the mother and conceivably roughly the same age as the mother; 3) Nikki, recall, looks mid-fifties; 4) 55-18=37, Fran can be no younger than 37. Jessie? No idea. Not even anything like ‘she’s the same age as Fran; younger; older; etc.’ except for the part where she had played at the highest level at the Olympics for UK, and for something for Scotland, and my limited understanding is that youngsters don’t normally compete at that level, and that was in the past so . . . um . . still no clue to Jessie’s age).

I rather liked the characterization level given here. And I lied, I do know one of the negatives at least one person saw – Fran plain doesn’t talk . . . much at all. And I can see that. Personally I was looking at it the other way around – Jessie doesn’t shut up. She’s always babbling, can’t stand silence. Babble. Babble. Babble. Personally I’m much more like Fran communication wise (too much information and all that – it sometimes literally physically pains me to get words out). And no, I do not actually see myself as Fran. For many reasons. But I’m probably a lot more like her than Jessie, though that’s mostly due to communication since, while I have an addictive kind of personality, I always knew that so I didn’t fall into the same traps Fran did.

While reading I was thinking of some things I could mention. I thought of ‘so much angst that the puppy has drowned and the kitten is in trouble’, but that’s kind of gross. Lots of angst though. From both sides, Jessie has issues of her own though has mostly had a ‘perfect’ kind of life. Oh, another thought I had while reading – I kind of dislike many of the players on Jessie’s team, which, in its way, indicates that they had enough ‘there’ for me to dislike them.

There are certain clichés, tropes, etc., that pop up in romances (and yes, this is a romance) – one of which involves attempts to come together, remain together, splitting apart, etc. Well, this one certainly had a unique twist on a part of that dynamic.

Ah, this book. Jessie was kind of like a hyperactive kitten that occasionally had people toss water onto, every once in a while got tied up and um . . no, let’s not go this direction as it’s misleading (no bondage occurs in this book. While Fran’s off to the side like a wounded three legged pit-bull who has been through the fights and barely grunts any longer. And for some reason both, the kitten and the pit-bull, are weirdly drawn to the other. The lust is huge. The power imbalance is also noticeably massive.

Overall a satisfying and occasionally riveting look into a Scottish . . . um . . . scene/romance/sport.

Rating: 4.00

April 6 2017