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What I Just Finished Reading
The Only Harmless Great Thing – Brooke Bolander
Set in an alternate universe, this novella tells the story of women paid to handle nuclear materials until the effects on their health become too horrible to ignore, the elephants trained to replace them, and the future generation that must deal with the aftermath of it all. Bolander does some nifty stuff with various characters’ perspectives, but the story was too short for me to really bond with any of them.
Pax – Sara Pennypacker & Jon Klassen
This book was phenomenal. It is beautifully written and has stuck with me long after I finished the last page. I am very, very glad I picked this one up and recommend it to everyone.
The Truth About Fat – Anthony Warner
If you read this New York Times article, you’ll get the important points from Warner’s book with none of the dross. Warner’s heart is in the right place and he’s s probably spot on in stating that there's no single “right" way to cure obesity. But in his eagerness to make that point, he throws the baby out with the bath water. Warner is so eager to point out all the ways that various approaches to fighting obesity fall short—be they dietary change, behavior change, or policy initiatives—that when he finally tells readers 330-odd pages later that the solution (spoiler alert!) is dietary change, behavior change, and policy initiatives, but that they must be implemented while "working closely with local residents” it’s either laughable or infuriating, depending on one's perspective.
The Black Tides of Heaven – JY Yang
This would have been a much better book had Yang turned it into a full length novel. As currently written, too much plot and character development happens off-page for readers to bond with any of the characters. Instead, they’re left with a retread of Avatar: The Last Airbender in which bending is “tensing,” the “Protectorate” threatens mankind instead of the Fire Nation, and the fate of the world hinges on the Prophet instead of the Avatar. It’s a shame because there is a lot of potential here, but its execution fails to make good on its promise.
鋼の錬金術師26 – 荒川弘 (Fullmetal Alchemist vol. 26 – Arakawa Hiromu)
An excellent climax even despite the story having entered DBZ time.
What I Am Currently Reading
Japanese Grammar – Keiko Uesawa Chevray & Tomiko Kuwahira
The seventh chapter, on conjunctions, continues the trend toward typographical errors, which is a shame because this was initially shaping up to be one of the best grammar references out there.
Smoke and Summons – Charlie Holmberg
Alas, this is the first in the inevitable trilogy. That said, Holmberg’s definitely trying something more adult in this volume, which is set in a dystopian factory city-state where criminal gangs kidnap children and force them to serve as hosts to extraplanar entities that do their masters' bidding.
Fire Logic – Laurie J. Marks
This novel also owes a debt to Avatar, but thus far looks like it will take the time necessary to flesh out its riff on that source material.
What I'm Reading Next
I’ll probably tackle the final volume of 鋼錬 and work on finishing the Holmberg and Marks novels.
これで以上です。
The Only Harmless Great Thing – Brooke Bolander
Set in an alternate universe, this novella tells the story of women paid to handle nuclear materials until the effects on their health become too horrible to ignore, the elephants trained to replace them, and the future generation that must deal with the aftermath of it all. Bolander does some nifty stuff with various characters’ perspectives, but the story was too short for me to really bond with any of them.
Pax – Sara Pennypacker & Jon Klassen
This book was phenomenal. It is beautifully written and has stuck with me long after I finished the last page. I am very, very glad I picked this one up and recommend it to everyone.
The Truth About Fat – Anthony Warner
If you read this New York Times article, you’ll get the important points from Warner’s book with none of the dross. Warner’s heart is in the right place and he’s s probably spot on in stating that there's no single “right" way to cure obesity. But in his eagerness to make that point, he throws the baby out with the bath water. Warner is so eager to point out all the ways that various approaches to fighting obesity fall short—be they dietary change, behavior change, or policy initiatives—that when he finally tells readers 330-odd pages later that the solution (spoiler alert!) is dietary change, behavior change, and policy initiatives, but that they must be implemented while "working closely with local residents” it’s either laughable or infuriating, depending on one's perspective.
The Black Tides of Heaven – JY Yang
This would have been a much better book had Yang turned it into a full length novel. As currently written, too much plot and character development happens off-page for readers to bond with any of the characters. Instead, they’re left with a retread of Avatar: The Last Airbender in which bending is “tensing,” the “Protectorate” threatens mankind instead of the Fire Nation, and the fate of the world hinges on the Prophet instead of the Avatar. It’s a shame because there is a lot of potential here, but its execution fails to make good on its promise.
鋼の錬金術師26 – 荒川弘 (Fullmetal Alchemist vol. 26 – Arakawa Hiromu)
An excellent climax even despite the story having entered DBZ time.
What I Am Currently Reading
Japanese Grammar – Keiko Uesawa Chevray & Tomiko Kuwahira
The seventh chapter, on conjunctions, continues the trend toward typographical errors, which is a shame because this was initially shaping up to be one of the best grammar references out there.
Smoke and Summons – Charlie Holmberg
Alas, this is the first in the inevitable trilogy. That said, Holmberg’s definitely trying something more adult in this volume, which is set in a dystopian factory city-state where criminal gangs kidnap children and force them to serve as hosts to extraplanar entities that do their masters' bidding.
Fire Logic – Laurie J. Marks
This novel also owes a debt to Avatar, but thus far looks like it will take the time necessary to flesh out its riff on that source material.
What I'm Reading Next
I’ll probably tackle the final volume of 鋼錬 and work on finishing the Holmberg and Marks novels.
これで以上です。
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This novel also owes a debt to Avatar, but thus far looks like it will take the time necessary to flesh out its riff on that source material.
Fire Logic predates the airing of Avatar's first episode by three years, so I think the chain of inspiration may go in the other direction, there, if there is one!
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