April 2021 Blog Installment

 

Hi friends,

This post about books I read in April is coming to you a bit late. I have no excuse. I just forgot. April was a great month for reading with everything from epic fantasy to classic sci fi and a nonfiction look into the curious dealings of corpses.

We’re enjoying spring in the Rockies with snow storms and 70 and sunny days back-to-back.

As always, let me know what you think of these reads and if you have suggestions for further reading.

Thanks for reading!

Tonya

 

Flamefall: The Aurelian Cycle Book #2 by Rosaria Munda

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Recommendation: yes, but read the first one first

Review: I loved this second installment in this political fantasy series – imagine Russian revolution with dragons. The first book set the stage for the war that erupts in this book. Our two main protagonists and point-of-view characters are joined by a new point-of-view character who brought a lot to the story including a new perspective of the enemy enclave. This is the type of book that I binge read in two days. The plot was great, and the situation that the characters find themselves in is one of the best moral dilemmas I’ve ever read. Most of the time when I’m reading a book it’s fairly obvious what the main character should do and the character’s development usually consists of them growing and learning how to do the right thing. In this book, I had no idea what the characters should do, and I thought the ambiguity was intriguing and definitely kept me reading. There was some excellent dragon fighting action sequences as well, which I thoroughly enjoyed too. I was frustrated that the two star-crossed leads just didn’t talk to each other for most of the book. Lots of teenage angst being thrown about. A lot of things would have been resolved if they’d just trusted each other all along! So frustrating! Anyway, this is a classic second-in-a-trilogy book, so it doesn’t end. It just stops. I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for the third installment!

 

 

Caves of Steel by Isaac Isamov

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Recommendation: yes, if you want to read classic scifi

Review: I can understand why this is a classic and genre defining book. It combines classic detective and sci-fi tropes. It actually stands up pretty well after 70 years since being published. I did wish that there has been more than one female character, who was kind of unimpressive. That’s my only critique though. The mystery was excellently told, and I honestly didn’t know the who-dunnit until the end. The suspense gradually built along with the stakes to an exciting climax, and the world that Isamov created was intriguing and struck the perfect balance between being feasible and futuristic. His prose was fantastic. Sometimes it’s nice to read a classic.

 

 

The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time #2) by Robert Jordan

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Recommendation: yes, if you like epic fantasy

Review: I liked this second installment in the WOT series more than the first probably because I already knew and was invested in the characters and understood the world a little more. I enjoyed the different paths that all the characters took and how we got to see them grow and learn. Rand grew a lot as a leader but still insists on denying his identity as the Dragon Reborn, which is getting old after two books. I particularly enjoyed learning more about the Aes Sedai, and I think that Nynaeve, Min, and Egwene were the most interesting plot, and I was legitimately concerned for them as the story progressed. While I’m enjoying the journey, I’m wondering if we’re ever going to get a time jump to help speed along the story a little, and I’m hoping that the main characters get over themselves and just talk to each other for a change and be honest with one another. I guess that would ruin a lot of the drama, but it would make a refreshing change. Jordan is a master at world building and developing mysteries. Hopefully, in one of these books all these mysterious occurrences will be explained.

 

 

Brood by Jackie Polzin

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Recommendation: if you’re in the mood for an introspective, different read

Review: This book was a far departure from the epic fantasy I’ve been reading. It’s more of a microcosm of story as our nameless narrator tries and tries to keep her small brood of chickens alive. The book is an exercise in exploring grief and unrealized expectations following the narrator’s miscarriage and path to accepting that she will never have children. I would be somewhat inclined to describe it as a sad, little book, but I think the point of the book is that even small, sad stories have value when we look close enough. The narrator’s observations are insightful and enlightening on topics as varied as cleaning to choosing chicken feed. The characters introduced include the narrator’s mother, husband, and friend, and while each is flawed, the flaws are so realistic that it’s easy to relate to the story and their development. Definitely, a well-written but very different book.

 

 

Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Recommendation: yes, if you want a unique fantasy read

Review: This book came highly recommended from several book-tubers that I follow, and it's definitely a unique premise for a fantasy novel. In this world, the Tower of Babel is the center of humanity. Thomas Senlin – a school headmaster from a small fishing town – arrives at the Tower with his new bride for their honeymoon. They are quickly separated, and Senlin unknowingly embarks on an astounding journey he would never have imagined to find her, and it takes several books to tell the tale. The setting is 19^th Century Victorian steampunk, and Senlin tries to unravel the mysteries of the Tower as he searches for his missing wife. While I thoroughly enjoyed this unique story, it is a bit weird. Like, weird and disturbing things happen to Senlin and the friends he makes along the way. In the end, it felt mostly like set-up for the future books as Senlin assembles a band of friends to assist him in his wife-finding quest. Despite that, the thing that makes this book stand out most in my mind is Bancroft’s amazing prose. It was truly a joy to read.

 

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Recommendation: yes, for those wondering what happens to your corpse after death

Review: If you’ve ever wondered what will or could happen to your body after you die, this book is the book for you. Personally, like most people, I avoid thinking about death most of the time in order to be a somewhat-functioning human being. Roach takes a different approach to life-after-death by focusing on the myriad options for disposing or using human remains. There are several chapters on how corpses are used for research, some about new and upcoming disposal methods (i.e. you could become a fertilizer for your favorite plants), and some about infamous cadavers of the past. While some parts were cringe-worthy, it was more interesting and intriguing than gross. I particularly enjoyed the final chapter where Roach explains her own feelings about her final wishes for her remains after years of research for this book. Surprisingly, she said that if she passes first, she would leave the plans to her husband and focused on not making excessive demands, but rather leaving it up to the living to decide how they are most comfortable mourning and celebrating her, as they’re the ones that will have to live with it moving on. It was a nice thought and new perspective.

 

 

Arm of the Sphinx (Tower of Babel #2) by Josiah Bancroft

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Recommendation: yes, better than the first!

Review: This was another series where, surprisingly, I liked the sequel more than the original. This book was very different than the first, and felt more like a swashbuckling, pirate’s tale. Picking up where the first book left off, Senlin has found his crew and secured his stolen airship but has no further leads or plans for finding his still-missing wife. I liked the introduction of multiple points-of-view in this book as we got to know the members of Senlin’s half-pirate/ half-gentlemen crew. There were plenty of exciting action scenes that were well-balanced with character development. It’s interesting to see how different members of the crew react to corruption and evils of the Tower, especially the contrast between Senlin, who never seems to lose his innocence, and Edith, who becomes more and more jaded. Senlin constantly asks himself the question of how far can he go in pursuit of his wife before he becomes someone she would no longer recognize. I also enjoyed learning more about the mysterious Tower and the Sphinx, who’s steam-punk inventions fuel much of the mystery in the book.

Mommy Corner

My wonderful husband made me this amazing cake for my birthday! When we lived in Maryland our good friend, Sara Jacobsen, who's a professional cake maker would make me the same cake every year. Since we've moved to Colorado, Dan had to brush up on -- or learn -- some cake making skills. I'm pleased to report that it tasted even better than it looked. 

The highlight of April was definitely our trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo with Great Grandma Honey, Grandma J., and Uncle Troy.

Maya got to feed the budgies!

Chloe loves pre-school. We thought this block creation was pretty neat. 

Sometimes we get snow in April in Colorado. We try to make the best of it though. Spring in the Rockies.

You also get to feed the giraffes at this zoo. This baby giraffe is looking hopefully up for a handout.

"Cheese!"

Some of the giraffes are very aggressive about getting their free lettuce. This one was getting all up in Maya's face. Kind of intimidating to be honest.