Been another month, time for another procrastination update:
Recently Read:
Spilling Ink (Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter, MG/YA Writing, paperback): A handbook for kids who want to write but aren't sure where to begin, or are convinced it's too hard.
This is a good starter book on writing fiction. It doesn't go into outlining or three-act structuring or deep grammar, nor does it focus on the daunting statistics of publication, but rather focuses on the joy of writing, with glimpses of the overall process of creating stories, fleshing out ideas, seeking and evaluating feedback, and so forth. The two writers have somewhat different approaches, and hand off to each other several times in each section, giving more than one perspective. It speaks to kids without talking down to them, and is a good reminder for older kids (and grown-ups) about what writing should feel like: sometimes frustrating, sometimes tedious, but ultimately fun.
Saber Tooth (Dawn of the Mammals series, Book 1, Lou Cadle, SF, Kindle): While fossil hunting in the Badlands, a small group - including a park ranger, a paleontologist, a teacher, and several high school students - find a shimmering ripple that pulls them hundreds of thousands of years back in time... back to when saber toothed predators ruled the lands.
On the plus side, this book is exactly what it sounds like, delivering a certain amount of action and danger as modern people struggle to survive when thrust into a primitive world unprepared. On the minus side... there's not a whole lot more to it. The characters aren't especially deep and lean towards tropes (with a touch of sexism around the edges, despite the reasonable strong and competent MC, park ranger Hannah), and it never really drew me into an overarching conflict or plot. The climactic confrontation with the titular beast feels incomplete given the buildup, and the ending's not a conclusion but a cliffhanger as it thrusts them toward the next book, leaving unresolved the unspoken questions behind the whole book: whether they'd figure out how to get home, or whether they'd prove the human animal capable of adapting and surviving in the age of saber tooths. Not a terrible read, with some moments of tension and action, but I never felt engaged enough with the story or characters to consider pursuing future books.
It Came! (Issues 1 - 4, Dan Boultwood, Graphic Novel/Humor/SF, Nook via Hoopla): An alien robotic menace from another world terrorizes the English countryside, but Dr. Boy Brett of the Space University and his companion Doris are on the case with the miracles of Modern Science! Filmed in Eyeball-o-Rama vision, with ads and a thrilling preview.
This is a hilarious spoof on old B-grade sci-fi flicks, with hints of self-awareness and more than a little innuendo. Dr. Brett smokes a pipe even when running for his life and has numerous dismissive pet names for Doris, the army proves ineffective save at providing the robot with more victims, and the evil scheme proves as evil as it is schemey. An intermission encourages theatergoers to grab drinks in the lobby, promising that the plot will make more sense after a few, while pre-movie ads tout cigarettes and other products. I hope Boultwood does another set of these (assuming he can keep the humor level up); if nothing else, I'm dying to see the rest of the previewed "Lost Valley of the Lost."
Currently Reading:
Golden Son (The Red Rising trilogy, Book 2, Pierce Brown, SF, paperback): Against the odds, Darrow has infiltrated the cruel, elite society of the ruling Golds and not only survived their training academy, but won the game. He's that much closer to bringing down their cruel regime from the inside, liberating his fellow enslaved Reds and avenging his murdered wife. Yet his place among the Golds is far from assured - an old rival manages to outmaneuver him at the next stage of training, costing him a valuable apprenticeship and threatening everything he and so many others have sacrificed so much for. He's come too far to give up, but his enemies increase by the day, and they were born into this backstabbing, amoral world where he, for all the body modifications and training he's endured, is still an outsider at heart...
This picks up about two years after the first book ended, but throws the reader into the story without recap or grace time. I almost considered doubling back to read Book 1 again, but the books - while well written and engaging - are somewhat harrowing in their depictions of a corrupt, amoral society gone to rot from head to tail, and I'm not sure I can endure reading two such books in a row given how grim things are looking in reality... Otherwise, it maintains the crisp pace and thick intrigue - where one literally cannot tell whom one can trust or who is just positioning Darrow for another backstab - of the first book, and I believe I'll enjoy it once I get back into the world.
Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head (The Curiosity House series, Book 1, H. C. Chester and Lauren Oliver, MG Fantasy, Kindle): The last of the "dime museum" attractions in yesteryear's New York City, home to marvels like a stuffed two-headed calf (whose second head often needs reattaching) and a baseball-sized kidney stone, is also home to a host of "freaks" and performers, from a bearded woman to a "dwarf" (who is technically an inch or two too tall, but slouches so nobody notices.) Among these are four children, who must work to save the museum when its prize shrunken head disappears... taking with it the crowds it was drawing.
I was looking for a lighter title to counter my paperback read (previous), and so far I'm enjoying this one. The characters are a little exaggerated, but not so caricatured one can't care about them, even if the numerous other performers are sometimes hard to keep straight.
