Science Fiction 3+/5
Noria Kaito, daughter of the Tea Master in Chinese Occupied Scandinavia, must keep secret the tea masters’ virgin spring, because water is a precious commodity over which wars are waged. Lyrically written with a frighteningly possible setting and characters the reader cares about, this novel has a quiet, but poetically justified ending. Don’t expect a thriller or adventure.
A good week: finished revisions to The Shadow Spy’s Daughter. Gathering of Ghosts is out this week in print, though the e-book won’t be for a month. Sigh. Last week my new book video, Janat’s Bargain came out on Youtube (trigger warning for addictions). Wednesday I head out to Kansas City for WFC–finally got my programming today! One panel and a reading. So that’s good!
Memoir 5+/5
Jeanette McCurdy never wanted to be a child star, but her abusive-dependent relationship with her star-struck and money-hungry mother was too complex for her to be her own person until her mother died. This true story sent me hunting to look up Jeanette McCurdy to check out her filmography. Gripping and heart-wrenching on every page, it provides one lens into the money- and star-power-driven culture of Hollywood.
Had a wonderful weekend at Can*Con in Ottawa. Sat on 2 panels, did a signing and had a party to celebrate Gathering of Ghosts, which comes out in a week!
Thriller 4+/5
When the death of her parents brings Clare back home to care for her brother, a mysterious outbreak sweeps through the town—an outbreak with symptoms frighteningly similar to those of her schizophrenic brother. I loved this thriller. Everything about it worked.
