Magic Beginnings
by Kayla Bashe
Pages: unknown
Date: June 30 2013
Publisher: Author
Series: Magical Girls Academy (First in the series)

Review
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Read: March 25 2015

Um, what the heck did I just read?

In terms of a "Choose your own adventure" type book, there were a little too many occasions wherein the choice was (1/1) go here. As in, the story just continued. But there was a hyperlink to click on to reach the continuation of the story.

In terms of a fantasy . . .. hmms. Not much background given, though some of the universe gets filtered into your brain. Sometimes in something like infodumps. Though they were interesting infodumps. Apparently in this universe there are these monsters that like to wander around attacking. By making people depressed, angry, etc. Occasionally by eating them. Humans are defended from these monsters by Magic Girls who become Magic Women. Who train at Magical Girls Academy.

In terms of LGBT . . .. Not actually sure what function the men serve in this society. The women are magical, at least the ones that are magical heh, have kids, and have lesbian partners. The men . . . um . . . farm? So, not only is lesbian activities allowed/accepted/etc., they are basically expected and maybe, though not directly stated in this book, required. So, that's the L in LGBT.

Last note: Seemed like a quick read but I have no idea how long the book actually was. No source, or at least here and Amazon, has information on the length of this book.

High Desert by Katherine V. Forrest

High Desert
by Katherine V. Forrest
Pages: 290
Date: December 31 2013
Publisher: Spinsters Ink
Series: Kate Delafield (Ninth book in the series)

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: February 22 2015

This is just a note, not a review: One of the things I keep coming across in the Delafield series, at least in the later books, is the idea that Kate knows that she needs to work on her relationship with Aimee, keeps hinting at this knowledge in the book and then . . . . oh look, books over, let's now repeat this in the next book while at the same time undoing what little had been promised in previous books.

One of the books ends with Kate agreeing to go to couples counseling and thinking about how she will need to contact, wants to contact, that therapist who she meet when she got shot.

The book after this promise occurs indicates that Kate has not spoken with this therapist since her last session years ago related to the being shot incident.

And her relationship with Aimee is in even worse shape.

It's an interesting series in one specific way. The first book came out in 1984. And a few came out that decade, the '90s, one in the '00s, and then this one in the '10s. 29 years. Some series allow their characters to age and the like. Most, though, tend to stick to a certain range. Like, if a series started with a character at a specific age, somewhere along the line, they just become "an adult" without spending too much time indicating that the character started at roughly 29, and is now 58. Just keeping it at "youngish, middle-agish, still alive" type.

I mention all that because Kate does age. The book is filled with remembrances of her past. The various cases, various locations of her life. Buildings that meant a lot to her which are completely gone now. The book is deeply tied to past and its impact on the present.

Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community by Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy, Madeline D. Davis

Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community
by Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy and Madeline D. Davis
Pages: 478
Date: May 9 2014 (originally published 1993)
Publisher: Routledge

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: February 18 to February 20 2015

I might be able to get around to a more review review, but for the moment I move the notes I made from the update status part to here.

One of the things I've learned is that Ann Bannon was quite good at capturing the lesbian culture. Written and set in the 1950s and 1960s, the culture displayed corresponds to the culture learned of from the oral history presented in Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold.

It is somewhat unfortunate that the book pulls mostly from the bar culture. There are reasons why it does so, mostly related to how, at the time, if you wished to be openly lesbian you had bars you could go to and . . . . not much else to experience the lesbian culture. At least if you were white. And working class. Blacks had house parties, and then later bars. Unfortunate as I'm not a bar person. So can't relate as well as I might otherwise.

Murder by Tradition by Katherine V. Forrest

Murder by Tradition
by Katherine V. Forrest
Pages: 272
Date: May 1 1993
Publisher: Naiad Press
Series: Kate Delafield (Fourth book in series)

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Read: February 9 to February 10 2015

Every book up until this one involved an investigation into murder. This time it's Law and Order. Opens with murder. Shortly thereafter the police arrest a man for the crime and he confesses. Rest of book is the murder trial.

One of the big points that pop up in both the defense of the defendant and among police officers who are supposed to be investigating the case is the "Homosexual Defense". Two-fold: 1) guy deserved to die because he was gay; 2) defendant deserves to get off due to how a "normal common sense person" would freak out if a homosexual person attempted . . . well, breathing near them.

Oh, and less seen, but this "homosexual element" also impacts the prosecution. None of the male attorneys want the case, so it gets "dumped" onto a female attorney who has never done a murder trial before.

Kate's police partner basically shuts down and wants nothing to do with the case when it turns out that the murder victim is a gay man, and the murderer, during the confession, notes that he freaked out and that's why he killed. Ed wants the guy to get involuntary manslaughter, if that, because gay people are icky. Also, the police officers interviewing neighbors, witnesses, etc., are quite brief as they don't wish to be involved with the case. So Kate has to handle the police side by herself. Mostly.

I wasn't sure how the murder trial would go. How it would be written. I had not read one written by Forrest before. First two witnesses were basically described as "they got up, they gave their testimony, they got off the stand." So, it wasn't looking that thrilling, but then things picked up. In the end, the trial parts were probably among the best scenes I've read.

Why Isn't Becky Twitchell Dead?: A Mystery by Mark Richard Zubro

Why Isn't Becky Twitchell Dead?: A Mystery
by Mark Richard Zubro
Pages: 189
Date: June 15 1991
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Series: Tom Mason and Scott Carpenter (2nd book in the series)

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: February 5 2015

Tom Mason continues to help kids as much as he can (as long as they are over the age of 5).

This time Mrs. Trask comes by Tom's school room to report that her son has been arrested for murder and desires Tom's help. Tom agrees and goes with her to the police station with her. Thereupon unfolds a story involving teenage love, sports, drugs, drinking, parents, people with limited power but who act as if they have more (aka, School Board), teacher unions, car chases in blizzards, blizzards, and brief vague touches of gay sex. Oh, and the worst bratty teenager of all time (the Becky Twitchell from the book title).

An interesting enough story and mystery. And, like last time, Tom's boyfriend, MVP, 3 time Cy Young winner Scott Carpenter helps Tom investigate. And like last time, they kind of stumble around gathering information until they stumble enough into the correct solution. "I must talk to this person now. Now I must talk to this person." "But you shouldn't talk to that one, you could get fired." "So what."