Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m a huge world-building junkie. It’s one of the reasons I love science fiction and fantasy. And, as I realized while writing the previous sentence, it’s also why I love history non-fiction books and podcasts. I love learning about the society and what drives people to act the way they act. Humans are all human and have always had the same desires, but how those manifest and how we react to them are defined within our cultural contexts. An insult that might have demanded a duel in 1800s America might now simply result in a screed on Twitter. So, I loved the first book’s building up of Radchai culture. In the first book, the plot was almost incidental. It was a TRUE trilogy in that it reads, in retrospect, as the beginning of an incredibly long book.

Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 139 by Neil Clarke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A nice, solid collection this month. Here are my per-story thoughts:

Carouseling: An extremely sad and touching story about a couple and an experiment at a CERN-like lab. Wonder if the story was written/conceived back when everyone was afraid the collider would make a black hole. (That’s not what happens, but I could definitely see it as an inspiration).

Scarlett was practicing coming up with alliteration for each letter of the alphabet. Here’s what she came up with for “F”. I think the drawing makes it almost like a Shel Silverstein poem.

Four filthy fat flamingos fly for freedom from five fat flies from Florida.

Rave Master Vol. 8 by Hiro Mashima

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We learn a bit more about what’s going on with Rabarrier, but mostly it’s a volume that is the continuation of the fight started in the last volume. (And it doesn’t finish here, either) Manga is the master of decompressed storytelling.

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Rave Master, Vol. 07 by Hiro Mashima

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A nice mix of some silly chapters and finally getting a lot closer to the mystery of Haru’s dad. Actually, with where we are now in the story I’m curious how there are some 20 more volumes.

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Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book that had me saying “wtf?” in a good way from the get-go. The first chapter is like The Princess Bride in that it sets up what I believe is a fictionalization of the author, but not as a forward or introduction - as the first chapter. So for the first few pages I have no idea what’s going on. Once I get it, it’s pretty interesting - especially given the title page and the fact that, apparently, this is officially Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children’s Crusade.

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a much more beautiful Cinderella story than the Disney one and a much less gruesome one than the original German one, even if there was still some foot destruction. First of all, this is my second fairy re-telling by Ms. Donna Jo Napoli, having read Sirena last year or the year before. Both times, she was a master at putting us in the head space of her protagonist and creating a compelling story.

Rave Master, Vol. 06 by Hiro Mashima

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although this volume is full of a lot of gobble-de-gook about the end of time, we do get a relatively fun fight that consumes most of the chapters. Kind of reminds me of Dragon Ball Z in that way. Also, if Seig Hart can be believed, not only do we learn about Elie’s past, but we also learn about the origins of Rave. Things might change, but for now I do give the author credit in that (unless I missed it) it wasn’t one of those things where Dark Bring was also created at the same time. Also, we got this supposedly touching moment:

Wild Cards III: Jokers Wild by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don’t know if they did this consciously or if it was simply the consequence of a series that started in the 1940s and ended in the (at the time) present day of 1980s, but I think it’s fascinating that this first trilogy (in a 19ish book series) has each successive book compressed in time. The first book is a regular shared world anthology in which it’s clear who wrote each story and each is self-contained - if providing a history for the next one. It takes place from the 40s to the 80s. The second book is one story in which POVs change with each chapter. It spans a year or so (if memory serves). This book is one story in which each chapter is a POV change, it’s impossible to know who wrote which characters, and it only takes place over the course of about 24 hours. It definitely gives a certain feel of whiplash like slamming on the breaks to have the timelines compress like that.

The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History by Ana Sofia Peláez

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mostly cookbook and part history of the Cuban diaspora and those still in Cuba. I really enjoyed the stories that surrounded each recipe and chapter. It really put many of the dishes into a personal space for the author.

I’ve already cooked a few dishes from the book and they were great. It’s a good time for me to get to a book like this because it is not as precise as America’s Test Kitchen, but I have the cooking skills necessary to do well with the recipes. A few years ago I wouldn’t have done very well at all.