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Climate change has rendered the Earth spent in this near future apocalyptic saga. Major low lying cities are under water, deserts have become larger and more prevalent as well as animals adapting to the change, superstorms that last longer and are far more destructive as well as longer pockets of extreme temperature change. It is a nightmare out there. A wealthy Texan calls for action and invites a group of international powerhouses to his ranch for his solution. Each has an interesting role to play and all the characters represent a global and ethnic mix. I won't pretend that I understood all the technology or science behind the solutions (or the problems) but the general theme is that somebody has to do something and whatever that is it will save some countries and demolish others. Politics, violence and sneaky behavior all play a part. I did enjoy reading how they were using golden eagles to take out armed drones and other really interesting ideas (not sure how much the eagles enjoyed this activity). It is a long story that has all the shock and awe of a Robin Cook medical or Michael Crichton science thriller. The scariest part is that this near future could be here faster than we expect. 4 stars 
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After years of trying Tiny and her husband are having a baby and Tiny is not ready to give up her music career. Tiny knows this baby was conceived by her owl lover and is convinced that she is having an owl baby. Chouette is born early in trauma and is seen by doctors and others to be imperfect and in need care for her whole life. Tiny doesn't understand their confusion or her husband's desire to fix Chouette and make her less owl baby and more human baby. Mother and child bond by night hunting small critters and Chouette screeches and squawks like a bird as well as behaving raptor- like to those she feels threatened by. For every one of her father's crazy remedies, Tiny and Chouette fight back. This is one weird journey into motherhood and psychosis. It is also a testament to a mother's love above all else. Not for the squeamish this will appeal to other strange books of motherhood like SORROWLAND and NIGHTBITCH. 4 stars  AO has had most of her body augmented with bionic parts after an accident that almost killed her. During a trip to the market a violent encounter brands her a terrorist forcing her to run. She heads into the desert and meets DNA a nomad herdsman with an axe to grind and together they set out into the violent desert winds. There are so many layers of messages here and themes of climate change, new ways to generate energy as well as the huge corporation who steals the land away from the nomadic tribes are all in play here. Add to that Nnedi Okorafor's melodic prose and a sci-fi Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid duo and you have another clever tale of warning. Perfect for her already numerous fans and those of Ray Bradbury and other apocalyptic authors with a distinctive African voice. 4 stars  A signal from deep space affects the lives of Ramona working on AI for Google, her on again/ off again boyfriend a cellist and music teacher and a talented music student as well as the astronaut who is sent to deep space to the source of Omni. How the discovery of Omni relates to these people was difficult for me to grasp. Ramona and Sevi just had issues with her work and their failing relationship that never really seemed to be resolved. I did enjoy the banter and philosophizing between the astronaut and his AI ship computer. Readers looking for a deep understanding of modern relationships, our failing humanity and the future with the awareness that we are not alone in the Universe will get more out of this story than I did. I did not consider this science fiction. 3 stars  A reimagined telling of Rumplestiltskin with a decidedly Marissa Meyer spin. Serilda lives in a small village with her father and stays away from most people because her eyes mark her for a storyteller known to exaggerate (and by that I mean lie). Her gift of stories makes her beloved to the children but gets her in trouble when she is brought before the evil Erlking who is terrorizing the locals with his bloodthirsty hunts. He and his legion of dark monsters, castle full of ghosts and the cursed make life hell for Serilda. Of course it helps that a handsome poltergeist named Gild is there to bale her out of her spinning straw into gold duties. Delightfully dark and creepy, this new world is a mixture of fairy tale and dark tales of vampires and monsters as well as a young girl yearning for the mother who is gone and the boyfriend she can't have. Young adults will devour it as we all do Meyer's other books and adults will become new fans. This will appeal to fans of gothic tales, horror classics and fairy tales for adults. 4 1/2 stars  I just love this series! It is original, witty, and you care about the characters. Claire is still battling for her library of lost souls with Hero ( an escapee from an unwritten book) and a quirky cast of fallen angels, muses, etc. The wicked witch of Hell ( otherwise known as General Malphas) is gunning for them and it will take a band of misfits with one courageous Librarian to save the libraries from down under from going under. This is the third book in the series but if this is your first one you will still enjoy the story. 4 stars  Benji is working aboard a luxury yacht hosting a floating think tank for billionaires and scientists. After the explosion he finds himself among the fortunate few survivors on a life raft. A few days into their plight a man is pulled aboard seemingly out of nowhere claiming to be the Lord. As the days pass and the chance for rescue slips further away their willingness to believe the man's story and their faith will be tested. Mitch Albom asks us to examine our own beliefs and take our spot alongside those on the raft. Would we trust this stranger? Thought provoking up to the final page -this will be a great choice for book clubs as well as his many fans. 4 stars  In Edwardian England but an alternative version filled with magic and secrets, something sinister is afoot. Robin is dealing with his family's demise when he is given a position he is not familiar with as a liaison to a magical society. He must work with Edwin who makes it clear that he is not happy about the situation. Both find themselves equally irritated by and strongly attracted to each other. They must now navigate old family secrets, magic, curses and a lot of danger all before drinks at the club. This will appeal to all those lovers of magic, alternative history and hot romances with a healthy nod to traditional British storylines and wit. 4 stars  There are times that I feel like I am the only person left who has not read this popular series so I was happy to begin a spinoff series that can stand alone. The brides are a very devout order with strong ties to nature and the sea. They lead a quiet life spending their whole lives on the island doing sea related offerings and self flagellation with almost no interaction with the outside world. When Rain washes up on their shores and is taken in by the brides her presence shakes up the order along with the realization that the outside world may be closing in. Quiet magic with an emphasis on nature makes me think that fans of Alice Hoffman will also enjoy this. 4 stars  3 1/2 stars Pearl is a huge one-eyed hog who usually sits on his haunches like a king looking over his kingdom. Your first mistake is to assume that Pearl is a dumb pig. Your second is to take his calm demeanor as ambivalence. Pearl watches and learns and is able to control the thoughts of those around him making you do things you do not want to do. This, being a horror tale, means a sea of blood and slaughter and outright terror of Pearl for the farmer, his family, and the local population. If JAWS kept you out of the water and CUJO kept you away from dogs, this will keep you away from farm animals forever.  |
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