Sep 13 2024

Out Of The Drowning Deep by A.C. Wise

“Ooh, more please!” were my exact thoughts on finishing this remarkably dense and deliciously chewy novella.

Many years into the future, the gods will reveal themselves on a planet called Bastion, upending faith and religion as humanity knows it forever. Gods are real and angels are real and demons are real, just perhaps not in the forms that doctrine had always insisted on. Bastion itself becomes a place not only of pilgrimage but of record, as the automaton known as Scribe IV dutifully copies down all the prayers sent into the aether. His own position at the monastery complex is somewhat controversial, as certain parties grumble at the very blasphemy of his artificial nature.

As time passes, however, decentralization and entropy take their toll, rendering Bastion a backwater. The monastery and grounds fall into disrepair, and are run by what’s essentially a skeleton crew of foundlings left on their doorstep over the years. It’s not the most exciting of places, but everyone is clothed and fed and safe, which is more than can be said of life on neighboring satellites. Perhaps some of the senior staff are more petty than Scribe IV thinks reasonable, but they all have a much better existence here than they might elsewhere.

So none of the staff, including Scribe IV himself, are particularly thrilled when the Pope suddenly decides to hold a conclave at Bastion, summoning all the leaders of humanity’s varied religions. The Pope’s aim is to declare the end of religion itself, an obviously contentious maneuver. To this end, Bastion must hire in as much contract crew as they can, even as the Pope settles in before the arrival of his guests.

It’s thus a terrible shock when the Pope is found murdered in his chambers shortly after. The Sisters Of the Drowned Deep seize their chance, putting Bastion on lockdown until they can find the murderer. Not entirely trusting the Sisters’ mercies, Scribe IV sends out a desperate call for impartial investigators that finds its way to an unlikely team-up of detectives.

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Sep 12 2024

Mindful With Me: Connecting With Your Child Through Daily Mindfulness by Sarah Dennehy

with charming illustrations throughout by Natalie Garber Martin.

My middle child has a problem: sometimes when he gets frustrated, even over the most seemingly innocuous of things, he’ll have a crying, screaming, snot-filled emotional meltdown in absolutely no proportion to the triggering incident. This doesn’t happen to either of my other children, who tend to look on in bemusement whenever Joseph has one of his “big baby” moments, as they call it (yes, I know it’s not very kind, but sometimes it make Joseph laugh and feel less rageful. Heaven knows, the other kids could use a laugh in the face of such intensity, too!) And since it can be hard to figure out what exactly will set him off or when, I’m always on the lookout for solutions that will help him regulate his emotions and regain his composure in a healthy manner.

As a generally mindful parent who’s big on self-awareness (and wishes she had way more time to do yoga,) I usually try to get him to deal with these big emotions by engaging in some very simple breathwork. If you’ve ever watched Daniel Tiger, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say that we do the “When you feel so mad that you want to roar, take a deep breath and count to four” song. But that doesn’t always work, so when this book landed in my inbox, I knew I had to prioritize reading it, not only for review here but to see if I could glean any useful tips in working specifically with my middle child. If I got anything I could also use with my other kids, that would definitely be a bonus.

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Sep 11 2024

Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker

I wonder why this was published by sff stalwart tordotcom instead of by its horror imprint, Nightfire, as the also creepy (and just as speculative, if not more so) Crypt Of The Moon Spider was. Regardless, I’m so glad that this novella has been released as a standalone book, perfect as a quick-ish read as the cold and dark start to roll in to where I live in downcounty Maryland.

Mara is the odd duck in her family of overbearing overachievers. She doesn’t really know what to do with her life despite being well into her twenties. She keeps trying community college but mostly works in retail, and does some light maintenance work on her uncle’s rental properties in exchange for a break on the rent of her own apartment.

When her oldest cousin Jeremy mentions that he has an opening behind the scenes of the cable TV show he’s hosting, Mara is initially reluctant to accept. But community college sucks, so after a few misfires, she finally joins him on the set of his ghosthunting/home reno show, Haunt Sweet Home. The show focuses on homeowners who have just bought a fixer upper that may or may not be haunted. The day crew focuses on the home makeover part of the show, while the night crew focuses on the hauntings. As Mara quickly learns, production is not above creating a few unsettling effects of their own in order to make for good television.

As a non-union production assistant on the night crew, Mara is at the very bottom of the pecking order, so is given the most uncomfortable and annoying tasks. She doesn’t super mind this: being a general dogsbody means that she doesn’t have to think too much, and skulking around in the dark has never really bothered her, given her upbringing. But when a floater from the day crew starts tagging along to help her out, Mara starts to question what’s really going on around her. The show might be manufacturing ghosts for its viewers, but could some of those ghosts end up being real?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/09/11/haunt-sweet-home-by-sarah-pinsker/

Sep 10 2024

Victoria Thompson, 1948-2024

I just received the sad news that one of my favorite historical mystery authors recently passed away. From the press release:

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Victoria Thompson Photo © Monica Z. Photography 2015

Victoria Thompson, 76, of Long Grove, IL passed away on August 23, 2024 after a years-long battle with cancer. Known by her friends and family as Vicki, she was an award-winning, bestselling author of over 50 novels, including the Gaslight Mysteries and the Counterfeit Lady Novels. She was also a college professor, mentor, and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.

Born Victoria Ellen Straface in Washington, DC on July 25, 1948, Vicki graduated from the University of Maryland in 1970. In 2012, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, a program for which she was also a professor from 2000-2023. Thompson was a deeply respected and admired mentor who championed her students and delighted in watching their writing journeys take shape.

Starting in 1985, Vicki published 20 historical romance novels before pivoting to historical mysteries in 1999 with the USA Today bestselling Gaslight Mystery series. The series follows socialite-turned-midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Molloy as they solve murders and fight injustice in turn-of-the-twentieth century New York City. Thompson first fell in love with New York during visits to the city when her daughter attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. The twenty-seventh Gaslight Mystery was published in April 2024.

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Sep 09 2024

The Totally Not Boring Book Of Feelings by Jolie Taylor & Brandon Dorman

What a delightful way to get kids in touch with their feelings! And this, mind you, is said by someone who has definitely given books about feelings, especially those targeted at kids, the hairy side eye, usually for being too sappy and twee.

This collection of roughly 40 poems easily avoids that pitfall, while being exactly as “not boring” as it says on the tin. The poems cover a wide spectrum of the emotions that kids are likely to experience on a day-to-day basis, from adventurous to trusting and, arguably, unique. I mean, is “unique” really a feeling? It’s more of a quality, no? Anyway, I’ll save my quibbling for when it really matters and gush first over how warm and lovely the messaging is behind this book. The kids, and sometimes imaginary creatures and anthropomorphic animals, who are the protagonists of these poems are all grappling with big feelings and learning how best to deal with them. The overall kindness and courage of the characters — with several noteworthy but deserving exceptions, such as the irritating Kessie or the rightfully terrified Zach — set a wonderful example for all readers, and especially for those young ones who might not yet know how to grapple with what they’re feeling in the face of seemingly overwhelming circumstances. The tone throughout is perfect for getting through to kids, very much bringing to mind Shel Silverstein’s use of humor and occasional outrageousness to drive the point home.

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Sep 06 2024

Tantalizing Tales — September 2024 — Part One

A surprisingly short round-up column to start off September, likely due to the fact that I think I actually have a better than decent shot at reading all the other books I’ve yet to talk about here!

First up, we have An Honorable Assassin by Steve Hamilton. This third book in the Nick Mason series finds our hero on a plane to Jakarta, promoted to lead assassin for a vast shadow organization that reaches every corner of the globe. This time, there’s only one name on his list: Hashim Baya — otherwise known as the Crocodile — international fugitive and #1 most wanted on Interpol’s Red Notice list. Baya is the most dangerous and elusive criminal Mason has ever faced.

Which makes it that much worse when, for the first time in his career, Mason fails his mission and Baya gets away alive.

There’s only one thing Mason can do now. To save himself, his ex-wife and his daughter, he must make this mission his life, hunting down the target on his own. But Mason isn’t alone in his search. For Interpol agent Martin Sauvage, apprehending Baya has become a personal vendetta. Sauvage is a man just as haunted as Mason is, and just as determined.

Never have the stakes been so high for Mason, or the forces surrounding him so great. Sauvage wants Baya in prison. Mason needs him in a body bag. Assassin and cop are on a five-thousand-mile collision course, leading to a brutal final showdown.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/09/06/tantalizing-tales-september-2024-part-one/

Sep 05 2024

Big Bear And Little Bear Go Fishing by Amy Hest & Erin Stead

This is going to sound a little random, but this is one of the best-smelling books I’ve read in years! I got it in the mail just the other day and it’s been sitting on my desk ever since, so I was pleased to finally be able to crack it open, then even more pleased to catch the fragrance of whatever heady concoction they’ve got going on between the pages and binding. It’s like the much cherished old book smell, only fresher (a verdict my eldest child also came to independently of my own!)

The contents, too, feel like classic children’s literature, but updated ever so slightly for modern readers. The story is of Big Bear and Little Bear, a father and son (or really any male duo in the roles of guardian and ward.) Big Bear wakes up one day in the mood to go fishing. Little Bear, ofc, proclaims the exact same, so off they go to prepare for a nice long day of trying to catch a fish. There are quite a few steps, including baking scones for the trip and packing their wagon, and then there is, ofc, a long time out on the water, before ending the day with a sweet, snuggly nap in a hammock.

The story is understated but powerful. I really appreciated how Big Bear and Little Bear made scones for their trip together, showing an admirable competence in the kitchen that underscores how cooking isn’t a primarily female task. Little Bear’s love for and idolization of Big Bear was also palpable throughout, as was Big Bear’s care for his little shadow. I also liked how catching a fish was clearly not the ultimate goal of the bears’ endeavors. Spending time together was the point, whether it be through cooking, reading or just enjoying the outdoors (or snoozing: one of my favorite pastimes, shared or otherwise.)

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Sep 04 2024

The Little Witch’s Oracle Deck by Ariel Kusby & Olga Baumert

subtitled Symbols, Spells, and Rituals for the Young Witch.

While I’ve tried to slow down in my acquisition of Tarot and Oracle decks (I mean, really, how many does a person actually need?)(and don’t ask me how many I have, I’ve stubbornly stopped counting,) I was so pleased when this oracle deck, aimed at young readers, landed on my desk. It is absolutely the kind of thing I would have thirsted for as a child learning about the occult and esoteric.

As an adult with an active interest in both mindfulness and spirituality, I wish I could go back in time and hand this deck to my younger self. While the cards and their accompanying guidebook do touch ever so lightly on the religious practice of witchcraft, as a whole it’s a kit for getting in touch with your subconscious and working on manifesting the ideals of kindness and growth in your everyday life through ritual, no matter what age you are.

The deck itself consists of 48 cards, with an invaluable 100+ page guidebook accompanying it. The deck is divided into 4 parts, with representations of Creatures, People, Tools and Places making up the loose categories. Each card is printed on sturdy stock, tho my deck did come slightly bowed, if that matters to you (it does not to me.) The presentation box comes with a sky-blue ribbon in the deck recess to help lift out the cards. The box itself is adorned with imagery from the deck, as well as with charming nature and geometric prints. Olga Baumert’s whimsical style here draws from folk art to perfectly match the gentle, thoughtful nature of the kit.

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Sep 03 2024

Crypt Of The Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud

This novella is the first of a trilogy and I have Thoughts about that. As a reader, I love that there’s more of this story to be had, even as it’s satisfyingly complete as is. As a reviewer, I love that we’re bringing the novella back: I’m tired of slogging through 300+ page books that seem written to hit an imaginary value-for-money size instead of focusing on an actually interesting story devoid of bloat. But as someone who definitely used to worry about value for money when it came to buying books, part of me frets at not getting enough quantity with my quality. Would it have been better to get all three parts of the Lunar Gothic trilogy in one volume that combines economy with immediacy?

These are all issues that remind me of why I’ve never been interested in going into publishing. I don’t care about other people’s money. I have little enough of my own as it is to want to worry about others’. So, devoid of any concerns regarding format and marketing, I can safely say that this is an excellent story and that I’m glad that there’ll be more of it to be had in the very near future.

The story itself takes place in an alternate past, where the moon is not an arid rock but a satellite with a breathable atmosphere, complete with forests that speckle its surface. Some of these forests are still blanketed in the gossamer webs of the giant spider that once lived in the moon. The moon webs, are they’re called, have all sort of interesting properties, some of which have led to their use in the treatment of mental illness.

It’s because of this that Veronica Brinkley has been brought to the moon by her concerned husband. It’s 1923, and the Barrowfield Home For Treatment Of The Melancholy has gained a sterling reputation for restoring health and happiness to its (wealthy) patients. Dr Barrington Cull is at the cutting edge of neurosurgery, carving away all bad thoughts and memories from sufferers’ brains and replacing the excised matter with moon webs, which have the remarkable property of being able to both replace neural connections and foster the growth of more, in presumably healthier directions.

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Aug 30 2024

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

Does anyone write about smart, funny, quirky middle school kids as well as James Ponti does? I genuinely do not think so, especially when it comes to placing them in exciting, crime-solving adventures.

Mr Ponti’s latest series centers on siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock, who are inspired by their last name to start a detective agency. It actually begins with Alex deciding to start a school club with his best friend Yadi, revolving around puzzles and mysteries. They’re joined by new girl Lina, and are enjoying an Escape Room party planned for them on the next-to-last day of school by the librarian when Zoe barges in. Alex tricks her into playing with them but she soon discovers that she actually likes puzzles. Almost as importantly, she thinks that she now has the perfect plan to monetize their skills over the summer.

Zoe desperately wants to make enough money to go to summer camp with her friends, so proposes starting a detective agency to the rest of the Sherlock Society. They’re enthused, and recruit the Sherlocks’ Grandpa to be their Director of Transportation and Logistics. Unfortunately for the budding agency’s plans, Alex and Zoe’s lawyer mom quickly shuts down the private investigation for hire part of their business as being unlicensed and far too dangerous. She relents, however, when it comes to investigating historical mysteries that may or may not come with hefty cash rewards.

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