2024 #15: Murder in the Hollows (James) - Jake Cashen #1

 

Murder in the Hollows by Declan James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I care not a whit about wrestling, so I could have skipped that aspect of this book, and I also had the murderer figured out very early in the game, but still, this was very entertaining. Alexander Cendese does a terrific job of voicing the protagonist Jake Cashen. The first book in any series is important because it either is going to hook us for the long haul, or it won't. This one did, mostly through the protagonist who navigates both his demons and the quirky characters of his small town with a certain amount of earthy skepticism and hard-won good-naturedness.

I'm in for the next in the series, although the preview makes me fear that I'm in for more wrestling. However, the first book sets up enough characters that I already felt empathy (I do like how the crime happens almost immediately) knowing who dies in the second. I hope that all the books get audiobook versions with Cendese, because now that is how I hear Jake Cashen and all the other fun characters--his overbearing-but-ultimately-loving older sister, his cranky-but-ultimately-loving grandpa, the very cool sheriff, Jake's more-observant-that-she-seems high school sweetheart, and more.

Declan James's former career in law enforcement serves him well. The policing narrative is smart, and entertaining as it is seen through the critical eye of Cashen, who bemoans the idiocy of his partner, rather than parading procedure around in flattened dialogue meant only to show that the author knows his stuff.

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2024 #14: Whispers of the Dead (Tremayne) - Sister Fildema #15

 

Whispers of the Dead by Peter Tremayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this second collection of short stories in the Sister Fidelma series (Hemlock at Vespers is the first), we get three original stories, and the rest have appeared elsewhere. This can be frustrating for the already-initiated. I'd love to have a "dossier" or bio of Fidelma in the beginning -- she's a dalaigh, qualified to the level of anruth, etc, etc. so that these details could be left out of every story. But, I get it -- most short story collections are like this, but when they all involve the same character, it can feel tedious to go through it each time, in each story. I understand it in the books--that way they can be read out of sequence.

That aside, Fidelma fans may appreciate the appearance of characters such as Abbot Laisran, Fidelma's distant cousin/friend (not sure? varying descriptions), who appears in three different stories in the collection (see also "A Canticle for Wulfstan" in Hemlock at Vespers). Abbot Colmán, too, appears elsewhere in the Fidelmaverse. One of the more interesting stories for those wanting more of Fidelma's backstory is "The Blemish"--it is a bit of slog unless you love socratic debate, but it is nice to see Fidelma as a young law student in examination with THE Brehon Morann (of whom we hear in almost every book). Eadulf only makes one appearance in the last story, "The Lost Eagle" (and strangely, he doesn't speak). I enjoyed "The Banshee" because one of the most interesting aspects of Fildema's character is how she has to negotiate Christianity and the old religion, without dismissing the latter wholly as "superstition" and acknowledging the powertripping aspects of the former. "The Fosterer", new to the collection, is particularly sad, as no one really "wins" at the end.

The collection would work well for someone not that familiar with the series--it definitely stands alone, and readers who follow the chronology of the series might not appreciate the disruption. It is interesting to see all the different contexts, however, and amusing to see that the stories have previous appeared volumes ranging from Great Irish Drinking Stories to The Mammoth Book of Ancient Roman Whodunits.

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2024 #13: Half of a Yellow Sun (Adichie)

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful and difficult book. Difficult because of the painful narratives of the Biafran War, but beautiful in the characters who are so vivid and real in their flaws, their hopes, and their lived existence. We meet Ugwu, a thirteen year old boy from a small village who works as a servant for Odenigbo, Professor of Mathematics at Nsukka University. Odenigbo's girlfriend, then wife, is Olanna, daughter of the influential Chief Ozobia, and more significantly, twin sister to Kainene, who was one of my favorite characters in the book. Not blessed with Olanna's commonly-accepted beauty, Kainene is fearless, acerbic, and honest (especially in the latter half of the book when war reaches her heart). Kaynene takes up with Richard, an English writer who comes to Nigeria to write a book about the art. Adichie artfully uses Richard to express the more subtle racism (whereas his ex-girlfriend is outright and obviously racist). For example, in Chapter 6, Kainene says to Richard: "...it's wrong of you to think that love leaves room for nothing else. It's possible to love something, and still condescend to it." This powerful statement is made after Richard is called out at a party for going on and on about the amazing details and complexity of some African bronzes, not realizing the implication of his surprise--why would they NOT be amazing and complex? Richard is one of the three main narrative voices and the way he grows, partially due to his love for and relationship with Kainene, is really thoughtful and not a single narrative. None of the main characters are unidimensional. Odenigbo moves from idealist to grieving son. Ugwu moves from innocent to war-worn and morally compromised. But perhaps it is mostly the story of the two sisters, Olanna and Kainene where this book touched me most. The horrors of war have their own narratives, but Adichie does not lose sight of the human story that perseveres -- love, betrayal, friendship, enmity--everyone with a heart that has to question some of the time.

Adichie does not sidestep some of the particulars of the Biafran War, however. The book is an opportunity to understand better (particularly for those of us who were not taught about the Igbo and the Hausa) the complex politics, racism, and global manipulations/voyeurism that brought about between 500,000 and two million Biafran civilians dying of starvation.

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2024 #12 Badger's Moon (Sister Fidelma #13)- Tremayne

 

Badger's Moon by Peter Tremayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

NOTE: Small spoiler ahead.



"...you would do well to remember that this land is not separated from the rest of the world, but shares the sins of humanity in equal proportion. "(137)

These words, uttered by the character of Brother Dangila, are but a sample of the increased depth in this installment of the Sister Fidelma series. Brother Dangila and two of his colleagues are three "strangers" from the Kingdom of Aksum, which reached its greatest power in the sixth century, and had begun to decline in the time of Fidelma. The Kingdom occupied what is now Northern Ethiopia and Eritrea, and parts of modern Sudan, if internet maps are correct. The book (rather gently) brings in themes of racism and xenophobia, and it the quote above is one moment where even Fidelma must confront her implicit biases.

The plot develops rather slowly, but there's a lot more nuance built into Fidelma's character, not only in the way she uses her role as a dálaigh as a coping mechanism as she is experiencing postpartum depression but also how she really is interrogating her multiple identities as an emblem of jurisprudence, sister to the king, and now, a mother (apologies if you read the series out of order). There are perhaps a few too many characters and families to keep track of, but most intriguing are Liag the apothecary and Conrí, war chief of the Uí Fidgente. And there are, of course, the customary hothead soldiers/warriors that seem to feature in all the books. The plot has many twists and turns, but generally was not enough to hold my interest. Luckily, I was so surprised by the next-level themes in this particular book, that I kept going. The book ends (the epilogue, anyway) on a cliffhanger...the mark of a true and secure serial!

It has been rewarding to read the series in order because one gets the sense that Tremayne is trying things on for size. I hope the greater character development and depth continues to be part of this series.

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2024 #11 Tenderheart (McKinnon)

 

Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds by Hetty Lui McKinnon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For those that know me, the fact that I have pledged to try at least one of the eggplant recipes in this book if I try ALL the other recipes, is probably the most astounding review I could ever give a cookbook. But this is more than just a cookbook. It is a story of the way food both nurtures and cultivates memories and helps us work through our grief to find those tangible things in life that help us hold on in healthy ways. McKinnon writes beautifully about both her parents, but particularly her memories of her father. The book opens with a quote from Francis Weller's The Wild Edge of Sorrow: "Grief and love are sisters, woven together from the beginning. Their kinship reminds us that there is no love that does not contain loss and no loss that is not a reminder of the love we carry for what we once held close." McKinnon's father, Wai Keung Lui (Ken) worked at the then Flemington Markets (now Sydney Markets), the "largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Australia." (9) She narrates her childhood memories of a man who was "tenderhearted" and prepared food as an act of love and nourishment for his children, entertaining their whims and desires when he could. When Hetty wanted to try cheese, he brought home Kraft singles and then moved on to blocks of cheddar. And then there was the produce. Hetty McKinnon writes about vegetables with as much passion and interest as one might expect someone to detail a fine wine.

Organized alphabetically by vegetable, starting from "Asian greens" and ending with "Zucchini", McKinnon celebrates what vegetables have to offer, encouraging with a preface for each one, an investment in the pleasures of the vegetable itself, even before digging into the recipes. Since receiving this book a few months ago, I have cooked at least twenty of the recipes, with thirty or forty earmarked for "soon." Some are simple and easy stir fries, like "Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Capers, Chile and Parsley" while others are more involved and might require a visit to your local Asian grocery if you don't already go there regularly! While there is a definite Asian leaning toward many of the recipes, there are a wide variety of dishes represented: soups, loaves, salads, mains, sides, pickles, and even dessert (butternut squash tiramisu--I'm working up to it!)! Favorites thus far include "Seaweed, Tofu, and Sprout Soup"which was one of the best dashi-based soups I've ever made, and the "Cabbage and Kimchi Okonomiyaki," which I could eat every week and never tire of it. Dishes like "Ras el Hanout Cauliflower Wedges with Mashed Chickpeas" will help you make a list of spices to keep on hand as well as making sure you always have a can or two of chickpeas in your pantry. The "Red-Braised Brussels Sprouts and Tofu" reminded me so much of the red-cooked pork my mother used to make that my eyes filled with tears when I took my first bite. If you are new to cooking with seaweed, McKinnon's recipes really help illuminate the wide variety of seaweed and its different uses.

I praised McKinnon's To Asia, With Love: Everyday Asian Recipes and Stories From the Heart for this same thing, but it is important: the index! She indexes everything from breadcrumbs to za'atar. The only thing I couldn't find in the index is Maggi Seasoning sauce, which she seems to love, but I'm wondering if there's a copyright issue there. I went ahead and bought a bottle because I trust this woman--she's given me an even deeper love of vegetables and my dear departed mother is hopefully smiling down from Heaven to see it.

If you are trying to eat more vegetables and are happy with plant-based proteins, this book will give you an endless supply of ideas. If you are more omnivorous, many of the recipes can be used as accompaniments to meat. If you are someone who values meaningful words about food and love, read this book.

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2024 #10 Project Hail Mary (Weir)

 

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had very little idea what to expect going in, only that several people had recommended this book to me. I would not have guessed that a dad-joke telling protagonist who is a cross between Bill Nye the Science Guy and Liz Lemon from 30 Rock and his relationship with a spider-legged creature named Rocky would make me laugh and cry, as I rarely do with sci-fi.

The earth-is-in-danger storyline is simple enough, and yes, the unassuming science teacher saving the day might be a basic trope. However, Ryland Grace, a molecular biologist maligned by academia, now teaching junior high, is one of the better written characters I've come across in the genre. Yes, there are moments where his facepalms and self-effacement-in-order-to-explain-scientific-concepts thing got annoying, but his general sense of humor and interactions with other characters--most especially Eva Stratt and Rocky--make him absolutely loveable and engaging. There's a motley bunch joining the party as well -- an avid Beatles fan researcher from UBC whose development of "Beetle" probes named after the Fab 4 play a crucial role in the book, an not-so-much-ex convict who also happens to be an expert in solar energy, a French climatologist who serves as Weir's strongest and most obvious eco-preacher, and several other characters who bring conflict and questions in ways that make the book provocative, not preachy.

The back and forth timeline actually adds a lot to the plot and the character development as well, as does Grace's own recovery from what befalls him.

Ray Porter's reading in the audiobook is an absolute gem, and is largely responsible for why Ryland Grace will stick in my mind as one of my favorite protagonists ever. I know, if I'm honest, had I been reading it in print, I would have flipped past some of the lengthier scientific explanations. Porter manages to pull you in to listen because one gets the sense that while astrophage don't (yet) exist, and there's a lot in the book that requires one to suspend disbelief, there's also a lot of really critical scientific concepts explained in accessible ways. Rarely did I feel like it was just a gratuitous display of street cred (something I find so often in the genre)--instead I found myself wishing I could sit in Ryland Grace's classroom. I thought the melodic sound effects (vocorder? I wasn't sure) for Rocky's speech made a lot of sense in the audiobook (I hear the words are just italicized in the print edition?), and had I copious free time, I might even dig into it a bit more to test its lexicographic legitimacy.

There are several folks on the internet recommending the audiobook over the print, and I think people's mileage will vary on that, but I will say this is one of the best audiobook experiences I've had and the deeper questions of the book are still sitting with me, long after the glow of the sheer pleasure of the experience has dimmed in my memory.

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2024#9: Sister Carrie (Dreiser)

 

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When we first meet Carrie (Meeber/Wheeler/Madenda), she isn't terribly likeable. There are shades of a Pretty Woman storyline, and the pace is rather slow. Stick with it--there's a lot here. The innocent Carrie, treated by the men in her life like an orphan without agency, quickly learns how to forge her own path, and this will include learning to play her own games. The story itself is quite miserly--definitely a tale of fortune's wheel. Dreiser has a gift for revealing the twists and turns of the darker bits of our souls, but in such a way that it is in fact part of our mundane existence, rather than dramatic depravity. The narration is exceedingly clever--sometimes sympathetic, sometimes sardonic commentary. The descriptions of city life and class structure are rich and dimensional and we come to feel a refreshing ambiguity about our heroine at the end.

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