Thirteen clans rule the land, and the Rat Clan is the weakest. Ruiying, the princess of the Rat Clan, is summoned to the land of the dominating Dragon Clan along with princesses from the other clans. The Dragon King seeks a bride, and they are all candidates! Yet instead of vying for the Dragon King’s favor, Ruiying takes refuge in the palace’s enormous library–a place she can read to her heart’s content. It’s there that the Dragon King discovers her by chance, sparking an immediate connection that will change Ruiying’s life forever!
Thoughts:
The artwork is so beautifully done, I love it. I enjoyed the world-building in this volume. And Princess Ruiying is a great protagonist. This reads like a cute, fast romance story, that is not asking too much from the reader. The series is a fast read, I loved how easy going I felt reading it.
A middle grade graphic novel about Marlene, a young girl who stops straightening her hair and embraces her natural curls.
Marlene loves three things: books, her cool Tía Ruby and hanging out with her best friend Camila. But according to her mother, Paola, the only thing she needs to focus on is school and “growing up.” That means straightening her hair every weekend so she could have “presentable”, “good hair”.
But Marlene hates being in the salon and doesn’t understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her. With a few hiccups, a dash of embarrassment, and the much-needed help of Camila and Tia Ruby—she slowly starts a journey to learn to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair.
Thoughts:
Frizzy’s mother has a ritual. Every Sunday, she takes Frizzy to the hair salon where they spend almost all day, as the hair dresser straightens Marlene’s natural curly hair. Marlene does not like this ritual, and often wonders why her natural curls are not considered pretty by her mother.
“Do you think she’s right? That I can’t be my best if my hair isn’t straight?” Marlene asks.
Frizzy, Claribel A. Ortega
Marlene embarks on finding the answer to her question. Wanting to find a different perspective than the one her family has given her, especially her Mom. She does this with the help of her friends Camila and Tia Ruby. Frizzy is a beautiful book about accepting ourselves the way we are.
“We learn things from our parents, who learn things from their parents, who learned that from their parents. It doesn’t make those things okay to believe…”
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child–neither powerful like her father nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power: the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or with the mortals she has come to love.
Book Thoughts:
Circe. I read this with expectation. Greek Mythology is so very fascinating, but Circe is not the book to discover more about Zeus. It is about Circe, a girl born to Helios, who grows up learning she is not his favorite child. Every moment as she grows up is excruciating lonely, and I hoped she would find moments of happiness with every turn of the page.
That is one thing gods and mortals share. When we are young, we think ourselves the first to have each feeling in the world.”
This retelling of Circe focuses on a goddess’s internal world as she faces judgment from her parents, siblings, the titans and Olympians. She finds herself isolated and in the isolation, she finds her center and the will to fight the cage.
You have always been the worst of my children,” he said. “Be sure not to dishonor me.” “I have a better idea. I will do as I please, and when you count your children, leave me out.”
Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.
1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world’s center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver-working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide . . .
Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?
Thoughts:
“That’s just what translation is, I think. That’s all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they’re trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.” ― R.F. Kuang, Babel
Robin Swift is a Chinese boy who finds himself at Oxford eager to explore translation, and study and read to his heart’s content. However, there are also a million nuances to his existence in this world, and they can all be captured in the following quote:
“They were men at Oxford; they were not Oxford men. But the enormity of this knowledge was so devastating, such a vicious antithesis to the three golden days they’d blindly enjoyed, that neither of them could say it out loud.” ― R.F. Kuang, Babel
To be different in a society can be challenging. Babel leans and explores heavily on the themes of language, translation, colonialism, identity (or lack there of), and finding a place of belonging in a society that may or may not want to understand a different individual, culture, language, mannerism. The adventures Robin Swift lives through in his tenure at Babel, with his fellow mates, all make you wonder and consider these themes at every turn.
“Translation means doing violence upon the original, means warping and distorting it for foreign, unintended eyes. So then where does that leave us? How can we conclude, except by acknowledging that an act of translation is then necessarily always an act of betrayal?” ― R.F. Kuang, Babel
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
Thoughts:
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a story inspired by the Legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess. Xingyin is the daughter of the moon goddess. She lives a peaceful life at the start, but a moment of curiosity changes her life forever. She soon discovers her mother’s life is in dire straits, and her existence as the daughter of the Moon Goddess is even more dangerous. Her mother urges her to flee to save her life. Xingyin makes it to relative safety and discovers a new world in the Celestial Kingdom. She trains along a celestial kingdom prince and does her best to become stronger. Her goal is to save her mother.
I love that this story is so plot driven, taking you from Xingyin’s cozy life with her mom when she knows no strife. Then, she flees and must struggle to survive, to fighting to grow her strength, and in the end, discovering a path she can follow to save her mother. It’s a rollercoaster fantasy quest and I was there for every minute of it.
This is a story about Tobiko’s adventures at our home in the rural areas near a National Park. We called this home The Fort because at the time there were no other homes near it, only wild animals from the park. It is a story about Tobiko, his friends, and Leader the dog exploring the area, and fishing in the nearby river. There were many happy days with the Maasai Cattle Traders and their stories with lessons.
Feature:
When I’m not writing NaNoWriMo novels, I edit/format/make book covers. These past weeks, I’ve been caught up with a sweet, little book called Tobiko, The Maasai Room, and Leader, The Dog That Would Not Leave. It is written by Felicita Churie who I’ve worked with before on her book, I Once Had A Son.
The essence of this story is an exploration of Tobiko’s adventures in a rural home where he has the space to run as a young boy. He plays with his dog, his siblings, and friends. They have camp-outs, watch the stars, go fishing, play football, and learn invaluable cultural lessons from The Maasai who visit their home. Their lives intertwine into a colorful tapestry of modern life, cultural lessons from The Maasai, herbivorous wild animals stopping by, and a lovely dog with an undying sense of loyalty.
Morrighan The Remnant Chronicles #0.5 by Mary E. Pearson
Before borders were drawn, before treaties were signed, before wars were waged anew, before the great kingdoms of the Remnant were even born and the world of old was only a hazy slate of memory told in story and legend, a girl and her family fought to survive.
And that girl’s name was Morrighan.
In this prequel novella to the Remnant Chronicles, a girl and a boy from enemy camps meet, fall in love–and set history in motion.
Thoughts:
I keep wanting to call this book The Morrighan. The lore in this story is so beautiful. Morrighan is an introduction into a world that is post apocalyptic. There are two groups in this world, The Remnants and The Scavengers. The Remnants are survivors of the old world, they love knowledge, farming, honor and love work. The Scavengers are insanely wild, and live in wild tribes with harsh customs, they are brutal and savage. They are enemies of the remnants and will destroy the remnants, and damage what they build.
This is the story about a girl named Morrighan. She’s a remnant who meets a boy who is a scavenger. Together, they forge an unexpected bond that changes their world. A bond that brings them together, despite the many challenges they must face being from different groups|clans. Through them, a story of the past and the future unfolds.
“Our stories must be passed to our sons and daughters, for with but one generation, history and truth are lost forever.”
Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
Book Review
Shatter Me is a process or journey, moving from severe isolation to an abundant world. Tahereh Mafi’s writing is quite personal; limited to the main character’s perspective, and in a way puts you in this focus point where you can only discover the story through Juliette. The main character’s thought process seems fractured because of severe isolation. It is raw, painful, full of harrowing moments, and joyful moments. I loved the parts where Juliette would celebrate someone touching her, or any form of human contact. Shatter Me might not be for everyone, but I enjoyed reading it.
First and foremost, I have written this story as a way of seeking healing and keeping my son’s memory alive. I also hope that parents who have lost their children will find some comfort in knowing they are not alone in their grief. And to the kidney patients, may they be informed that there is hope in medicine and in the development of the newest methods of treatment. Donating a kidney may seem a big deal but to me, it was the solution and the best I could do. To all doctors that take care of our patients, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for their priceless sacrifice in working long hours to see that their patients get back their good health.
I Once Had A Son – 2nd Edition is now available. The second edition includes anecdotes and stories about Tobiko and his mother as they navigated harrowing visits to the hospital, and fun plays at school, and pictures of Tobiko through the different eras of his life.
I have had the privilege of working on an extraordinary book called, I Once Had A Son by Felicita Churie. She reached out to me on this blog and asked for assistance to get this book ready to publish on Amazon’s KDP. After we agreed on deadlines, I got to work on the story and fell into quite a unique experience.
You see, there is a profound sense of awe and inspiration in discovering a story about a mother’s unconditional love for her family, in particular, her son.
In I Once Had A Son, Mrs. Churie lays out the very personal journey she took with her son, Tobiko. She and Tobiko spent thirty-three inspiring years in a medical battle that would stun most. She describes the joyful nature of Tobiko’s birth, the joy of his growing up years, and the dreaded discovery of a struggle with kidney failure. Mrs. Churie and her family then embark on a long journey filled with love, camaraderie, a strong community that holds them down during the worst of storms, and a family bond forged like no other. She opens up and highlights the experience of donating a kidney to Tobiko. In the hope that her surgery experience will give others in similar situations courage and strength to get to the other side.
This book is an emotional roller coaster. I learned from Mrs. Churie and Tobiko that strength can be found even when it seems like there is none left to find. There is no love more profound than a mother’s love. Truly!
This short compilation of poems speaks on spirituality, inner thoughts, and their power on our souls. Each poem is matched to a colorful, thought-evoking illustration done by Francesco Orazzini.
It’s a beautiful, colorful book that I loved reading.
Are you thinking of trying your hand at writing a story this year? Check out this free guide for some free tips and information and get started. Make 2023 your magical year!
Stories and Book Talk 