30 Days of Books Challenge: Day 26 - A book you wish would be written

Drinking: Earl Grey Classic, Fortnum & Mason

I am eagerly awaiting Brandon Sanderson's second installment in the Stormlight Archives series.  Now that the Wheel of Time is wrapped up, I assume he'll be working on it.  Sanderson's website  shows a progress bar for the book at 0% thus far.

The first Stormlight Archives book, The Way of Kings, is the story of Kaladin, a soldier on the Shattered Plains caught in the pointless, endless war there.  The Way of Kings is his journey from starving slave to powerful leader.  It is an engrossing, if very long, story.  The worldbuilding, Sanderson's specialty, is superb.

A side plot follows Shallan, a young woman seeking to study with scholar Jasnah Kholin.  Shallan has her own agenda beyond learning from Jasnah, however. Supposedly, the second Stormlight Archives volume will focus more on the two women.  Rather than being direct sequels, the other nine books will each feature a different protagonist as the main plots develop.  Kaladin will be in the story, but the books will not be focused on him as The Way of Kings is.

I recommend starting The Way of Kings now, since it is more than 1000 pages.  That way, you'll be done by the time the second book is released.



30 Days of Books Challenge

Day 01 - Your favourite book

Day 02 - Least favourite book 

Day 03 - A book that completely surprised you (bad/good)

Day 04 - A book that reminds you of home

Day 05 - A non-fiction book that you actually enjoyed

Day 06 - A book that makes you cry

Day 07 - A book that’s hard to read

Day 08 - An unpopular book you believe should be a bestseller

Day 09 - A book you’ve read more than once 

Day 10 - The first novel you remember reading

Day 11 - The Book that made you fall in love with reading

Day 12 - A book so emotionally draining you couldn’t complete it or had to set aside for a bit

Day 13 - Favorite childhood book

Day 14 - Book that should be on hs/college required reading list

Day 15 - Favorite book dealing with foreign culture

Day 16 - Favorite book turned movie

Day 17 - Book turned movie and completely desecrated

Day 18 - A book you can’t find on shelves anymore that you love

Day 19 - A book that changed your mind about a particular subject (non-fiction)

Day 20 - A book you would recommend to an ignorant/racist/closed minded person

Day 21 - A guilty pleasure book

Day 22 - Favourite series

Day 23 - Favourite romance novel

Day 24 - A book you later found out the author lied about

Day 25 - Favourite autobiographical/biographical book

Day 26 - A book you wish would be written

Day 27 - A book you would write if you had all the resources

Day 28 - A book you wish you never read

Day 29- An author that you completely avoid/hate won’t read

Day 30 - An author that you will read whatever they put out

Review: Agatha H & the Airship City

Read: Agatha H & the Airship City by Phil & Kaja Foglio
Stars: Five

Drinking: Earl Grey Classic, Fortnum & Mason

"Adventure! Romance! MAD SCIENCE!"

I absolutely LOVED Agatha H & the Airship City.  It is quite possibly the best science fiction book I have read in a long time.  It is the novelization of the first part of the Foglio's webcomic, Girl Genius.  The couple tells the story of Agatha Clay, a young woman in a steampunk alternate Europe ruled by "Sparks," or mad mechanical scientists.

Agatha is spunky, irrelevant, and fairly confident despite her lack of Spark.  Although she has her doubts about her abilities compared to her mentor, Dr. Beetle.  When Beetle, the Tyrant of Beetlesburg, is overthrown by Baron Wulfenbach, the ruler of most of Europa, Agatha's life is thrown into disarray.  She is kidnapped by the Baron's men and brought to his flying castle to assist a man the Baron thinks has the Spark.  It is here that Agatha's adventure truly begins.  She meets other young hostages of the Baron, develops a romance, and finds out what is really going on in the castle.

This is also the story of Agatha coming into herself, becoming fully confident in her abilities and her role in the world.  When her true identity is finally revealed, the reader is unsurprised.  When she accepts that identity, the reader cheers. The only downside is that some of the mysterious side plots are left unresolved - I'll have to start reading the webcomic to find out what happens next!

If you like science fiction, steampunk, or strong heroines, Agatha H & the Airship City is for you.  The webcomic is also available in book form, if you prefer the original, but the novel is very well written with beautiful prose as well.

Review: Dead Until Dark

Read: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Stars: Five

Drinking: Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee, Einstein's

Dead Until Dark is the first in the Sookie Stackhouse series - better known as the inspiration for the TV show True Blood.  It's a fun, lighthearted alternate history urban fantasy that frequently reminds me of the Anita Blake series. Harris' take on vampirism and its effects on society when vampires "come out of the casket" turns the series into an interesting social commentary on discrimination in American society.

Sookie is a friendly waitress at the local bar in her small Louisiana town.  She is also telepathic.   Her "gift" makes it difficult for her to form personal relationships, until one night a man comes in that she cannot "hear" at all - a vampire, specifically.  What follows this meeting is a murder mystery that keeps the reader guessing until the killer is finally revealed.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Until Dark, and I've already consumed two of it's sequels.  Sookie is a charming narrator who seems to constantly find herself in trouble - especially after she becomes involved with vampires.  The books are quick, light reads with deeper messages of discrimination against not only vampires but also people with perceived disabilities. The heavy dose of romance Harris adds helps keep them from getting too heavy, however.  I recommend the series for beach and bubble bath reading.

30 Days of Books Challenge: Day 25 - Favourite autobiographical/biographical book

Read: Madam Secretary by Madeleine Albright
Stars: Five

Drinking: Phoenix Mountain Oolong, Peet's Tea

Madam Secretary is by far the best autobiography I've ever read.  I was already well into my career path in International Affairs when I picked it up, but Albright instantly became a personal hero and figure to emulate. Her story, from Czechoslovak refugee to first female Secretary of State, is inspiring, particularly because she did the bulk of her life's work at an older age.

Albright lays out her tale in a friendly, chatty manner that makes the reader feel like she is just over for a cup of coffee on a Saturday afternoon.  Her triumphs and challenges are all laid out matter-of-factly.  The most interesting parts of her story - her final path to Secretary of State - come after the challenges of divorce.  Instead of wallowing or resigning herself to being an older divorced woman, Albright earned her doctorate and became an important international affairs figure during the decline and fall of the Soviet Union.  Her unique experiences as a child shaped her views on that turning point in history and made her valuable to US policy makers.

It is strong, powerful women like Albright that inspire me daily to study international affairs and work to empower women all over the world.  I highly recommend Madam Secretary to anyone who wants to be a powerful woman, wants to support women's empowerment, or is interested in international affairs (or all three!).



30 Days of Books Challenge

Day 01 - Your favourite book

Day 02 - Least favourite book 

Day 03 - A book that completely surprised you (bad/good)

Day 04 - A book that reminds you of home

Day 05 - A non-fiction book that you actually enjoyed

Day 06 - A book that makes you cry

Day 07 - A book that’s hard to read

Day 08 - An unpopular book you believe should be a bestseller

Day 09 - A book you’ve read more than once 

Day 10 - The first novel you remember reading

Day 11 - The Book that made you fall in love with reading

Day 12 - A book so emotionally draining you couldn’t complete it or had to set aside for a bit

Day 13 - Favorite childhood book

Day 14 - Book that should be on hs/college required reading list

Day 15 - Favorite book dealing with foreign culture

Day 16 - Favorite book turned movie

Day 17 - Book turned movie and completely desecrated

Day 18 - A book you can’t find on shelves anymore that you love

Day 19 - A book that changed your mind about a particular subject (non-fiction)

Day 20 - A book you would recommend to an ignorant/racist/closed minded person

Day 21 - A guilty pleasure book

Day 22 - Favourite series

Day 23 - Favourite romance novel

Day 24 - A book you later found out the author lied about

Day 25 - Favourite autobiographical/biographical book

Day 26 - A book you wish would be written

Day 27 - A book you would write if you had all the resources

Day 28 - A book you wish you never read

Day 29- An author that you completely avoid/hate won’t read

Day 30 - An author that you will read whatever they put out

Interlude: #InternationalWomensDay

 

Today I take a break from books to blog for International Women's Day.  As some of you who know me offline know, gender issues are close to my heart in my career aspirations.  I'm joining bloggers all over the world  in discussing  “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures” this year.

Education is most certainly the key to positive influence over girls as they grow and develop into women.  As a culture, we need to teach girls to respect themselves and others.  A way to do that, while involving girls, is to encourage them to participate in activities, debates, and/or events that broaden their experiences with other girls and women AS WELL AS men and boys.  Girls need to learn that men and boys are an important part of our global community and that they can be partners in gender equality. 


What kind of activities or events, you ask?  Looking back, the activities that shaped me most into the feminist global citizen that I am involved strong women role models.  Girl Scouts, for example, exposed me to a huge variety of things probably never would have done otherwise, or might not have done until I was much older.  Now that I am older, I strive to be a role model for the girls and young women I know (Not sure how effective that is...). As for events, take girls to any event imaginable.  If it involves international, educational, or just a look at a different part of your culture, girls should be there.  Particularly in larger cities there are always things to do: cultural festivals, conventions, museums, fairs, volunteering - you name it.  


Exposing girls to all of these different experiences will naturally inspire them to get involved in their world, whether through all-girls activities to boost confidence and knowledge, or just through exploring and learning naturally.


As I mentioned above, Girl Scouts got me involved and educate me (and other women I know) as a global citizen and feminist.  For any young women or girls reading this, my best advice for a better future and a positive impact is to find a woman you admire - or, even better, a woman who intrigues you because you don't agree with her.  If she is someone you know, spend time with her.  If she is someone you don't know, find a way to get to know her, through reading or networking.  Learn what makes her tick.  Find a lot of women like this.  Get involved in your community. Ask questions.  Challenge things that you don't understand or that you disagree with. This is how we change the world. 

Review: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Read: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Stars: Four

Drinking: Raspberry Green Tea, Stash

This intriguing dystopian post-apocalyptic story explores the idea of what it means to be human. Is it empathy? Is it the way our neurons work?  Dick leans towards the empathy theory and wonders if it is possible to replicate empathy artificially.  Ultimately, what separates humans from artificial intelligence is much more than that.

Rick Deckard, the main character, is a bounty hunter in charge of "retiring" (killing) androids that have escaped their human owners in the planetary colonies of post-nuclear Earth and come down to blend in with the Earth humans. He has no problem with his job, since "andys" are clearly NOT human to him - until he meets a new type of android that more closely resembles humans - enough that the usual empathy test nearly cannot detect them.  As he questions the morality of his job, he is exposed to the truth about androids - even those that are nearly impossible to detect.

It's a short book - only 250 pages - but Dick packs in a lot of ideas about religion, respect for life, and even love on top of the main theme of humanity.  I will definitely have to read the book again.  I'm not sure I'm even done absorbing everything he has to say about the nature of humanity.  Are we human because we care?  What about psychopaths?  It's a great book that leaves one with more questions than answers.