Today I was talking with some friends about how many books are too many in a series or world. Seeing as I was finishing this book, I felt it was particularly relevant. This is the 54th book about Lieutenant Eve Dallas, Roarke, and their cast of varied friends and co-workers. It was not too many. Robb continues to bring creative stories and wonderful character growth in each one.
This is a series of futuristic murder mysteries set in 2060s New York City with additional themes of love, friendship, and family.
Do you have to read all 54 for this story to make sense? Nope. They are all stand-alone books. However, I will say the relationship pieces and the story around the murder are more satisfying if you know the backstories and how all the characters relate to each other and have grown to where they are. I think that’s true for each book in the series.
Also, Eve and Roarke are #relationshipgoals. Seriously, the communication, the support, the love, and definitely, the frequent, mind-blowing sex is always something to aim for.
As for the mystery, in this one Robb mixes it up with a live victim in addition to the dead body to give the reader a new perspective. And as usual, unless she wants you to figure out who the bad guy is, you won’t until Eve does.
Homicide detective Eve Dallas must untangle a twisted family history while a hostage’s life hangs in the balance—in the new In Death novel by #1 New York Times bestselling J. D. Robb.
The woman’s body was found on a bench in a New York City playground. She was clean, her hair neatly arranged, her makeup carefully applied. But other things were very wrong—like the tattoo and piercings, clearly new. The clothes, decades out of date. The fatal wound hidden beneath a ribbon around her neck. And the note: Bad Mommy, written in crayon as if by a child.
It seems clear the killer’s childhood was traumatic—a situation Eve is all too familiar with herself. Yet the clues point to a perpetrator who’d be around sixty, and there are no records of old crimes with a similar MO. What was the trigger that apparently reopened such an old wound and sent someone over the edge? When Eve learns that other young women have recently vanished, the case grows even more urgent—and to solve it she’ll need to find her way into a hidden place of dim light and concrete, into the distant past, and into the depths of a shattered mind.
Normally, when an adaptation of a book or series is made, I choose to read first, then watch. However, when you have COVID pretty much everything you usually do goes out the window. So in my 10 days of quarantine, I watched all of Outlander.
Now so you know, both versions have been on my radar for a while. I have the first two books as mass market editions and the first seven as e-books. So when I say I was planning on reading it, you can know it was true. I just hadn’t decided it was time. And you’d think after binging 5 seasons plus the current season’s available episodes, I’d be sick of it. Instead, I fell in love.
I fell in love with Jamie and Claire’s love for one another. I wanted to experience it again, so I started reading Outlander. It took me another two days to get through the 850 or so pages. Then I started the next (A Dragonfly in Amber) and even after that, the third (Voyager).
Only a book on hold becoming available at the library that I’ve been waiting 2 months for was able to loosen the grip this story had on me and even while reading that one, I keep thinking about Jamie and Claire. It keeps reminding me of my relationship with my spouse. It keeps grounding me in my own life and the love I have for those who are close.
I will definitely continue this series. At any point, I may decide that I’ve had enough and walk away, but at this point, I think I will run out of books and episodes before it lets go of me.
The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord…1743.
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
“…trauma is an open door. We all have to make amends to all the people we let in.”
Cadwell Turnbull, No Gods, No Monsters
This quote from my recently finished foray into No God, No Monsters really made me pause. There is a lot to unpack in this short bit and that lot got me thinking deeply.
The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster.” The examples in this definition all portray singular, one-off events. I believe societally this definition has been expanded lately to include prolonged events instead of being limited to a specific moment. Like when someone lives in a high-violence area, they have smaller moments of trauma that add up to a whole traumatic experience.
Trauma has become a word that people use regularly with many different expectations. It has become a buzzword. So to find it in a fantasy fiction novel, and in such a deep thought, stopped me in my tracks.
How does a traumatic moment create an open door? In my mind, it opens a new way into you. It creates a new lens through which you view the world. Not removing all the old lenses, just adding a new one the person now has to see everything through, stacked up on top of the rest. Like when someone who has been mugged from behind becomes super aware of any person, thing, or movement behind them. They don’t change the majority of the way they interact with the world, just add hyperawareness as protection.
But doors go both ways. And they are used by more than one person. So how does trauma open a person up to others differently? I think that depends on the person and the trauma. But everything I am and how I view the world, informs what I react to, how strongly I react, and how much that reaction affects those around me.
Take someone who has been physically abused, they may have healed to the point where meeting new people is possible. Maybe even shaking a stranger’s hand no longer causes stress. However, when they meet a new person who hugs strangers they would react much more strongly and negatively than a person who hasn’t. Much to the surprise and upset to the hugger. The hugger sees the hug as a welcoming, a breaking of barriers between strangers to make them closer than just a handshake. Yet, in this interaction, it is not. It builds a wall between them and not on purpose by either person. It just springs into being. Causing pain in both people.
Trauma creates a door to the person that isn’t hospitable or welcoming but is the only option. That person who hugs enters an engagement with the abuse survivor without realizing that the door with which they use to connect is the same door the other person experiences fear, mental pain, or other negative emotions through.
The person with the trauma lens has no conscious control of this reaction. They can, with time and a lot of work, gain conscious control. They can adapt around the trauma response, but every person triggers the response before they learn and adapt.
Another reason it’s a door is that it’s now a permanent part of the person and now provides the sole access of the person to the world and the world to the person. The trauma survivor can never access the world without it or other engage with them without passing through it. And this becomes less true with healing.
“We all have to make amends to all the people we let in.”
What does it mean to “make amends”? The dictionary defines it as “compensate or make up for a wrongdoing.” This definition definitely goes further than your basic apology.
How do we make up for a wrong? I know that hubby and I teach our child that an apology is a necessary starting point, but that it is empty words if you don’t adjust the behavior that created the wrong in the first place.
Taking us back to the trauma survivor, this means healing themselves. They will continue to wrong others through their trigger(s) if they don’t, right? And that is a monumental task.
Just like you can remove a door from a building and replace it with a wall, you can heal the opening the trauma created. However, just like that spot in the wall where there was a door, the person who has healed from trauma still has a new part that is not homogeneous to the rest. It is spot weaker than the rest simply because it can never be absorbed fully back into the whole. If healed well, no one from the outside will ever know it existed, but the trauma survivor still has the door marked permanently on the building plans.
So what does this quote mean to those of us who have one of these trauma lenses? I believe it puts the onus on us to find a way to heal so that we don’t continue to spread the trauma we experienced to others. So that we can truly end the cycle the trauma started and rejoin the world without causing more pain.
Betwixt is the first book in a series by Darynda Jones. I also read books 2 and 3 (Bewitched and Beguiled). Book 4 is out (Moonlight & Magic), and while it continues the story started in the first three, it changes protagonists so I’ll wait for the next two before I read them. I’m quirky about things like that.
Now I fell in love with Jones’ writing in her Charley Davidson series. It’s super conversational, relatable, and downright laugh-out-loud funny with a whole bucketful of sass and a whole lot of sexy. So I joyfully hunted up this book (and the other two) and dove in. I finished all of them in a matter of a week.
If you like quirky friendships; kilted, tattooed protectors; houses that are more than your everyday house; and witches. These books are for you. These are definitely fantasy and heavy on the romance which makes them fun and easy to devour if you go for the blend.
Jones writes with an irreverent joy that never fails to entertain and she always has an interesting take on well-trod ground. It’s fresh and new. And Defiance definitely fits her name.
The only thing I find odd, is that in the summary, they make it clear she’s called Dephne, and yet in all three books she’s called Defiance or Def more than they ever use that weird and awkward nickname.
Divorced, desperate, and destitute, former restaurateur Defiance “Dephne” Dayne finds out she has been bequeathed a house by a complete stranger. She is surprised, to say the least, and her curiosity gets the better of her. She leaves her beloved Phoenix and heads to one of the most infamous towns in America: Salem, Massachusetts.
She’s only there to find out why a woman she’s never met would leave her a house. A veritable castle that has seen better days. She couldn’t possibly accept it, but the lawyer assigned to the case practically begs her to take it off her hands, mostly because she’s scared of it. The house. The inanimate structure that, as far as Dephne can tell, has never hurt a fly.
Though it does come with some baggage. A pesky neighbor who wants her gone. A scruffy cat who’s a bit of a jerk. And a handyman bathed in ink who could moonlight as a supermodel for GQ.
She decides to give it three days, and not because of the model. She feels at home in Salem. Safe. But even that comes to a screeching halt when people begin knocking on her door day and night, begging for her help to locate their lost objects.
Come to find out, they think she’s a witch. And after a few mysterious mishaps, Dephne is beginning to wonder if they’re right.
*I’m not including summaries for the other two books because of spoilers.
If ever there was a perfect Christmas day gift that FELT like Christmas morning to me in March then today just hit it out of the PARK! It started off very sleepily this morning when I opened up IG with my coffee in hand and it opened to an archeologist I’ve been following; his handle is @ginocaspari; give him a follow! The first thing I saw was a reel titled “Shackleton’s Endurance just found!!!”
My whole entire insides gave a jump as the ship appeared like a ghost thru the waters; at 3008 meters deep I can’t imagine how excited everyone was to find her! This ship looks impeccable after 107 years at the bottom of the Weddell Sea, off the coast of Antarctica. Because of how cold the water is at that depth it has preserved her beautifully; not much survives there that would be used to dismantle her. Time and the cold have definitely been on her side.
I have been a huge fan and slightly obsessed with Shackleton and his crew of the ‘Endurance’ since learning about them as a teenager. Their story of survival is one for the record books I assure you. Three long arduous years in the antarctic, so many things went sideways, and yet Shackleton lost not one man. No life was lost in that cold desert – that is an incredible feat!
If you didn’t know all ships are considered female.
‘The Endurance’ Lithography 19/40 by Michael Bond
The lithography is from an English artist by the name of Michael Bond. This litho is one of my prized pieces of art work I acquired; it hangs in our foyer. Everyday, multiple times a day, I pass by this ship. The first time I saw it at the Belleville Art Fair and it stopped me dead in my tracks! I just stood there and gawked at it for over a minute like a weirdo!
I grabbed the print and had SO many questions. Michael was just as surprised as I was, but for many different reasons. He was surprised that someone my age even knew anything about the ‘Endurance’ and could recognize her on sight. He regaled me with a couple of stories about Shackleton and I lapped them up like a lost dog.
Come to find out that Ernest Shackleton was a neighbor of Michael’s parents! He had a flat just down the way from them and he said that he remembered Shackleton as a good man. I was having a definite Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon moment for sure. I bought the print right then and there and it’s been hanging in our foyer ever since.
I also have a whole entire small library dedicated to Shackleton, his crew and his ‘Endurance.’ Granted most, but not all, of the books are stored side by side for easy reference; some are more spread out throughout the stacks. I am a librarians worst nightmare in a lot of ways and my grandmother is probably rolling over in her grave right about now as I divulge the fact that nothing is in order. (Our grandmother was a librarian.)
Try as I might it makes more sense to just put them up and then look for the ones I’m needing to get to later. A lot of the books in my Shackleton library were gifted to me anyway. So part of my library are my original collection vs. the collection that was received. I know it doesn’t make much of a difference to other people, but to me…it just makes sense.
Arctic and antarctic expeditions are a big part of my library. Whaling history and maritime history of any kind are also available as well. Anything to do with expeditions in the cold brutal deserts of the North or South and you’ve got my undivided attention.
I’m weird. I get it. I know and I understand.
Going back to the documentary from the link above. When it comes out I’ll be all over that too. If you are interested in watching an older movie about Shackleton and his expedition Kenneth Branagh played Shackleton in the movie by the same title. ‘Shackleton’ came out in 2002. I own it and it does the job to explain what happened and why. If you like movies, and would like to know more, I’d say give it a go.
In the mean time you’ll find me nose deep in all the articles that are being put out by the news media to get all the tiny morsels of information I can about how they found her, if there are plans to resurrect her (doubtful, but a woman can dream) and what they plan to do next. I’m popping my popcorn now! I’ll keep you posted if I see anything else that needs to be shared.
Our oldest daughter is 13 going on 21…like they do, and like most kids these days she’s super into TikTok. With that all being said she sent me this TikTok about cycles and biological rhythms that males and females use in their lives and I watched it and found it interesting. So lets have a chat about it shall we?
What the TikTok’r was explaining was that males work off of the circadian rhythm. Which is a natural internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. Where as the infradian rhythm that woman use, that happens weekly, monthy and/or seasonally. With the infradian rhythm it affects a woman’s metabolism, mood, energy levels, sex drive, immune system, emotions and much much more. Right? Right.
The TikTok’r goes on to say how our daily lives revolve only around the male version of this rhythm. Get up, get ready, go to work, do the things, get off work, go home, do more things…somewhere in there eat a meal, do some dishes, take care of others, clean up, wind down and then go to bed. This whole rhythm functions around how a male body functions and doesn’t take into account how a woman’s body functions. I think that’s a fair view point. Upon watching this TikTok’r our oldest got wicked ticked. She’s a feminist and ya know what? I don’t blame her… I feel that too.
So lets talk about rhythms. We, as females, navigate thru the highs and lows of hormones having to adjust to this circadian rhythm. It becomes important to adjust and balance ourselves thru what we eat, how we exercise, and how we sleep, etc… depending on where we are in our infradian cycle.
For me…My energy is balanced, or as balanced as it’s going to get at the moment. I work off of both rhythms, but it took me a while to find that balance. Females in the throws of menopause take all the rhythms and throw them out of the damn window! Anyone who has or is currently experiencing menopause can understand that the rhythms go straight down the crapper. After almost 6 years my rhythms are what I make of them and mine are currently flowing down the river of life and I’m constantly surprised by what kicks up energetically during the day. Nothing has been normal in years, and I’m finally okay with that. Taking the good with the bad, circadian and infradian…it all comes out in the wash for me.
But, if you are like our oldest and you are still well within the infradian cycle then dealing solely on the circadian can be a real pain in the dupa! I won’t lie. It sucks. So here are some thoughts on the matter.
The only persons cycles you can worry about are your own. Every single human being is going to be different so understand that going in.
Get a notebook…I use the cheap ones at the Dollar Store down the way and start tracking your moods thru an infradian cycle first. Day 1-5 Levels of estrogen & progesterone are low. Day 6-14 estrogen & progesterone are on the rise. Days 15-17 your estrogen is supposed to be peaking and your testosterone & progesterone are also rising. Days 18-28 Progesterone is at it’s highest. *see the link above for more information* That link is awesome; truly great information.
Understand that IF you don’t follow an “egg timer” 28 day cycle that you aren’t a broken human. This is what the notebook is for so that you can be in the know about your personal elevations and where they are and how they fluctuate and when.
If you don’t like the notebook option, there are PLENTY of Apps out there that track the same thing. Doesn’t matter how you track your rhythms only that you do; if you feel called to do so to begin with.
Knowledge IS power. The more you know about how your body works and how it functions the better. Consider this a form of self-care and self maintenance if you want to. Hell, I’ll be over here clapping for you because you are taking ownership of your rhythms and your energy! So if you do this, let me tell you that, “I know you don’t NEED me to be proud of you, but I am proud of you!”
IF you are a person who is going thru a hormone change from Male to Female or Female to Male then this is a perfect time to get to know BOTH rhythms intimately. The doctors should be able to shed more light on both of these types and their benefits regarding how they will affect you going forward.
Being aware of how your body and your energy levels function or should be functioning on any given day is not only a gift to you, but to the people around you as well.
I use my moon calendar to track how I’m feeling using the phases of the moon and I also use four hour cycles to track when and how I’m feeling during the day. Just ’cause I’m all menopausal doesn’t mean that I don’t practice myself. It’s imperative to my mental health to know what my own rhythms look like. Surprises and shake ups be damned I’m still going to show up as my best self when I can for those I love.
If you aren’t feeling the “rhythm” thing, that is okay too. Don’t feel pressured to do it. You do you, the world will adjust. I can promise you that.
In our house no topic is taboo or off the table. I want our children to feel comfortable sharing all kinds of things with me and my husband. In all honesty, our kids are my wisest teachers. Tiny Buddha’s all on their own and in their own right; because of them I am a better human.
The world outside is changing rapidly. If we don’t stop and look around we might miss some super vital things. Knowing how we operate in the world at large gives us a better handle on how we present ourselves out there. Know yourself first, and the rest will fall into place.
Way back in the day, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and I was younger than I am now I had an epiphany. A break through of sorts you could say.
I was an adult, but I didn’t feel like one. I felt like I had been masquerating around as something else entirely for quite some time and didn’t know how to fix it. This was a troublesome spot to be in; so I wondered how I was going to fix it.
I had grown tired of the world at large. I’m also quite sure that many people get to this point in their “growing up.” This phase where life just becomes too uncomfortable to live in and breathe in. I realized that I had also become tired of my own B.S.
So what happens? At this point in the journey? You sit with yourself and you become your own stopgap. You review your life up to that point; wondering where the hell you had missed stepped or had gone wrong… regardless of all of the mental Olympics that you put yourself through it doesn’t change the fact that something needs to change.
I remember the moment clearly. I was sitting on my bed having an internal chat with myself and I realized that in order for things to change I was missing one fundamental perspective. I had forgotten somewhere along the way to be thankful. And with that I said out loud to no one in particular, “thank you.“
In that first moment I wasn’t exactly sure who I was speaking to… I don’t think it really mattered. Maybe I was thanking myself, maybe I was thanking God/Spirit/universal conscience. The fact that I even started to understand that was a miracle in and of itself for I had not been grateful for anything in my life it seemed up to this point. That was a huge milestone in and of itself to shift my consciousness in a new direction.
Oh sure I had said thank you to every Tom, Dick, and Harry along the way, but I didn’t FEEL thankful for where I was in the universe. I had not been thankful to wake up every morning alive and in good health. I had not been thankful for the electricity in the house, food on my plate, clothes on my back. You could have even asked me, “well do you pray?” To which my answer would’ve been yes, but what happens when you always ask for things without a care in the world and never say thank you for them when they arrive?
That one cataclysmic moment would shape my world going forward in the best way possible mind you. It wasn’t an overly grand moment. It was really for all intents and purposes a basic moment. One that anybody could have at any moment along their journey, but that’s where it started.
After the thank you was uttered… what then?
Well everything started to change. The foundation that I had been standing on started to crack and crumble. Tower moments started to show up and the walls started to break down. The landscape started changing for the better.
Internally my world had been shook. There was no going back to the old version of myself. Only the new version, this more thankful version, was to survive. And trust me when I tell you that being thankful even in the hardships, the break ups, the breakdowns and the breakthroughs was the toughest part.
You can’t just be thankful when it’s convenient to be so. You must be thankful through it all. That was one of the lessons that I learned the hard way. Some days I had to re-learn the damn lesson many times over!!! Being thankful can get exhausting.
Also, when you start to change internally and become a more thankful person, there are other people in your life who will not be so thankful that you are changing. My only advice, should you want it, is to keep going. Keep being thankful. Regardless of what shows up because it is showing you exactly where you need to go next. What needs mending internally within your journey. Make no mistake this journey can be very solitary in nature.
I have found that, for me, holding space in those moments is the only thing that I can do.
The definition of holding space is to be present with someone, without judgment. It means you donate your ears and heart without wanting anything in return. It involves practicing empathy and compassion. You accept someone’s truths, no matter what they may be, and put your needs and opinions aside, allowing someone to just be. Holding space may appear to be easy, but sometimes our own opinions and egos can get in the way, making it a bit more difficult to put into practice.
Then once you’re done holding space, you say thank you and let go. I know for me that letting go is the hardest part. Yet, I can always be thankful that I was allowed to walk with that person or be friends with that person or share the same space with that person while the moment was there.
Don’t get me wrong, it sucks to have to let go. But being thankful on this journey has made me a better person even if I’m the only person that thinks that. Hopefully in the end all of this thankfulness will mold me into a more compassionate, empathetic, and giving person.
Until the end gets here I will keep being thankful for what shows up in my life regardless of how it shows up. For every day is a new adventure and there is so much to be thankful for…if only we take the moments to notice what is right in front of us.
I also have taken up the practice to end and begin each day with, “thank you, I am proud of you, I love you, I am grateful, more please.” It seems to ease the burdens of my psyche. If this resonates with you please take it and use it in your life and if it doesn’t that’s OK too. Many paths lead to the top and they are all different. Be you, who ever that is, the world will adjust.
I’d love to know what you’re thankful for and why if you’d like to share. Or how being thankful has changed your life too if you feel so inclined.
I came across this book a long time ago, maybe four to five years ago now. It called to me, but in serious book collector fashion, just because it calls to you doesn’t mean you sit down and read it right away. The timing had to be perfect, it had to be “just so” in order to align with the sun, moon and all the stars. Queue the clouds opening up and the rays of sun shooting thru them, hearing the choir of angels singing, the banging of the drum and all that jazz. Enter stage left 2022 and it was time to sit down and read THIS book.
Yes, it went just like that if you were truly wondering.
If you know anything about me I LOVE, and I do mean LOVE history…true history; not the crap history that we get sold only by the winners. I want all the angles, not just the made-for-tv-movie, sugar-coated stuff. I have this need to know both sides, the more perspectives, the more I can pick and tweeze out how it really, truly could have unfolded from a spectator’s point of view. There’s always grey in a black and white world. Jennifer Niven gave me this and so much more!
When I spotted this book a couple of things jumped out. 1- There is an Inuit woman proudly taking up half the cover…UNHEARD OF in most areas of history. Let’s just take a moment and let that sink in. STUNNINGLY poignant. How many people would take the time to create such a book, let alone publish it and add her to the cover as a selling point? Look around…how many pop out at you? 2- It’s written by Jennifer freakin’ Niven who is a badass author. Her book ‘All the Bright Places’ has people campaigning in IL to put it on the banned book list. *insert eye roll* I bought this book for our oldest who is 13 and she said it was great. Take THAT banned book list. (I’m half tempted to start buying up all the banned books and creating my own little banned book library.) Last, but certainly not least, it’s set in the arctic. SIGN A MAMA UP! I was SOLD! Take my money.
And then it sat…and sat…and sat some more. I wasn’t disappointed in the wait, on the contrary…I needed to be in a certain space in order to understand what the book, the story of Ada had to offer the world in the NOW. Now is the perfect time to pick up a copy and read it, digest it, feel how after all these years the struggles are still alive and well in the world at large. Not much has changed, unfortunately…and as hard as that was to write that sentiment; it doesn’t make it any less true.
This book brings to light so many unanswered questions as to why humanity keeps on accepting poor sickening behavior towards people of color, people who are indigenous, and women in general. How we treat each other in the small moments speaks volumes and how that reflects back to how we interact with the world around us. In order to do better, we need to recognize it in the first place. This book makes it glaringly obvious as painful as that is at times.
Themes of survival, yes are prominent, given the nature of the book I would assume nothing less. Yet, these themes play out not only in an arctic environment but in settled ones as well. No place is exempt from betrayal, judgment, sacrifice and love. This story shares all the nitty-gritty details of what went down and sheds all sorts of light into the darkest of corners; even the unspeakable ones.
*coughs* Looking at the Noices and Stefansson ghosts directly. Karma…thank GOD for her! May you have the next lives that you deserve.
There were several points in the book where I had to put it down and walk away. My sensitive nature could take no more. I was angry at so many of the main characters that I had to take a hot minute for myself and get centered before I returned to see how the story ended up unfolding. This book can trigger even the best of us into searching within ourselves for how we too can be better to our fellow humans. Lawd have all the damned mercies on some of these people.
I had to add this in because I about fan girl’d out of my damn chair! Never in a million years did I ever think that my small half-assed book review would be seen, let alone commented on, by a famous author. That stuff just doesn’t happen to little ‘ol me, at any time, or anywhere in the known universe. Yet, when I decided to put this up low and behold Jennifer Niven herself gave me permission for feeling all my feels. That was a great day for sure! Jennifer Niven…THANK YOU for being so amazing! I appreciate you!
Would I recommend this book – Yes! A thousand times, YES! There is a lot to be learned in its 397 pages. The sheer amount of note-taking, leg work, flights and phone calls that must have had to transpire in order to create this work of art is mind-numbing. Yes, it’s a book, a true story as well, but it IS also a work of art. I would love for it to be put on a MUST read list somewhere…banned books be damned and all that nonsense, let’s put it on MY “how to be a better human,” must-read list!
From the author of The Ice Master comes the remarkable true story of a young Inuit woman who survived six months alone on a desolate, uninhabited Arctic island
In September 1921, four young men and Ada Blackjack, a diminutive 25-year-old Eskimo woman, ventured deep into the Arctic in a secret attempt to colonize desolate Wrangel Island for Great Britain. Two years later, Ada Blackjack emerged as the sole survivor of this ambitious polar expedition. This young, unskilled woman–who had headed to the Arctic in search of money and a husband–conquered the seemingly unconquerable north and survived all alone after her male companions had perished.
Following her triumphant return to civilization, the international press proclaimed her the female Robinson Crusoe. But whatever stories the press turned out came from the imaginations of reporters: Ada Blackjack refused to speak to anyone about her horrific two years in the Arctic. Only on one occasion–after charges were published falsely accusing her of causing the death of one her companions–did she speak up for herself.
Jennifer Niven has created an absorbing, compelling history of this remarkable woman, taking full advantage of the wealth of first-hand resources about Ada that exist, including her never-before-seen diaries, the unpublished diaries from other primary characters, and interviews with Ada’s surviving son. Ada Blackjack is more than a rugged tale of a woman battling the elements to survive in the frozen north–it is the story of a hero. (less)
There has been a lot going on with geomagnetic storm coverage lately.
“The NOAA defines geomagnetic storms as “a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere that occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth.”
I just wrote up a summary of Solar Cycles and how they affect us. If you already know about them, check out the weird happenings lately, including evidence of an ancient solar storm.
This book is much wackier than I ever thought it could be.
I never bat an eye at an author taking our world and changing things up just a little. Those are always a fun premise. And this one is no different to start. Descendents of the gods exist and those who originate from Eros (Cupids) are known in the world, but none of the others are. This basic fact is the base layer of the crazy cake that is this book.
Another layer is the main character, Eliza. She’s the klutziest klutz to ever walk the earth. AND she also just happens to be an uber-powerful cupid whose power is triggered through all these little and not so little accidents. As an accident-prone individual, I always read klutzy characters carefully. This one is taken a bit further than is reasonable to me, but it’s done for the story, so I tried to let it go.
The next layers were the story, or should I say stories. It felt like two in one. The first was the relationship, building from reintroduction to crescendo. The second was when the real problem/bad guy finally got introduced and the relationship goes through its trial. It just didn’t feel cohesive. It really felt like taking a bite of confetti cake and going for the next bite and unexpectedly getting lemon. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some lemon, but that is an unexpected pairing, if you get what I mean.
The icing on this crazy cake was some super awkward scenes involving a robot. My inability to tolerate awkwardness** was definitely tested and even caused me to skip a couple paragraphs. Twice. The set-up was beautifully executed, but I just could not follow it through. If you like movies or tv shows with awkward scenes, then this might not bother you.
The sweetest part of the whole thing was Eliza’s relationship with her dad. It was adorable and could be labeled #goals. It was like a gooey surprise center.
Now on to the sexy bits. It really felt like all talk and then use your imagination. Now the talk was yummy and definitely written to wind up the reader, but then, that’s pretty much all you get. So if that’s your cup of tea, enjoy!
*I read enough other stuff on my own, that a few years ago I joined a book club that focuses solely on romance. Literally, any kind of romance you can think of exists and it’s always a fun ride to talk about all the sexybits and slow burns and find the joy in the light-hearted stories. ** I have a strong physical aversion to awkwardness. I can’t watch movies or tv that use someone in an awkward situation as a source of comedy and I can’t read it in books either.
Eliza Herman has spent years avoiding her calling as a Descendant of Eros. After all, happily-ever-afters are a myth. But when a family crisis requires her to fill in at her family’s Cupid-for-hire shop, Eliza finds herself enchanting couples under the watchful eye of her mentor, Jake Sanders.
After Eliza accidentally enchants Jake instead, they set rules to keep his arrow-struck desire at bay. But some rules are meant to be broken, and before long Eliza is rethinking her stance on true love…until they discover a conspiracy that could destroy thousands of relationships–including their own.
Everyday Sisters 