World on Fire

Books for a World on Fire: Part 2

~ J.Z. Weston

Things are hard out there, friends. We’re all struggling with the stress of not knowing how this pandemic is going to play out, with isolation and fear and the urge to constantly refresh social media and read more news articles, because maybe this one will have the answers. We’re tired. We’re strained. And we still need distractions in order to preserve our sanity.

Fortunately, we still have books. I shared some of my favorite light books last week, and here some more.

Three books stacked in front of a window, with a cup of tea resting on top of them, and a houseplant to their right

In Other Lands, by Sarah Rees Brennan

Young adult discovers magical land. Young adult is destined to save magical land. It’s a time-honored tradition in fantasy literature, so it’s no surprise that there are so many books dissecting the trope these days. I love many of them, but In Other Lands is far and away the funniest.

Elliot is the kind of smart-ass we all longed to be when we were younger, the kid who simply can not keep his mouth shut, and is constitutionally incapable of bowing to authority (or anyone else) when he knows that he is right. And while he is generally right about a lot of things, he has the people skills you would expect from the love child of a porcupine and a cactus. It’s problematic.

The plot is loosely woven, following Elliot over several years of schooling. We get to watch him grow into himself and his friendships in a way that is shockingly rewarding. This is probably the spikiest books I’m recommending – there were a few points where Elliot’s inability to keep his mouth shut causes some interpersonal conflicts that pained me in my heart – but it’s all worth it in the end. Plus, there’s some great bisexual representation, which I don’t see very often.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers

A friend described this book as the science fiction equivalent of a warm hug, and I could not agree more! This book contains some of the most emotionally healthy relationships I have ever seen committed to writing.

The ensemble cast (mostly human, but including a couple of aliens who differ from us is pretty important ways) and the episodic story (most of it really is just the crews adventures as they travel to a small, angry planet) both won me over. I found myself binge reading chapter after chapter, not because of narrative tension and the need to find out how conflicts would be resolved, but out of affection for the characters and a desire to spend more time in their company.

This may be the most gentle book I have ever read, and I can not recommend it highly enough if you are feeling terribly overwhelmed.

Heroine Complex, by Sarah Kuhn

Do you like superheroes? Do you feel like superhero stories don’t center female friendships enough? Do you long to see women of color kicking ass? Then you’re going to love this book.

Evie Tanaka and Aveda Jupiter have been friends since elementary school. Now, Aveda is San Francisco’s first super hero, and Evie is her personal assistant. Only, their relationshipsdynamic has not really changed since they were kids. Oh, and the demon attacks that have plagued the city for years are intensifying, bringing decades-old conflicts between Evie and Aveda to a boil.

This book balances effervescent fun, the very real challenges of long-term friendship, and some steamy romance. The characters tend to be over-the-top, but something about their relationships feels very real to me. And it’s the first in a trilogy, all three of which are available right now!

Minor Mage, by T. Kingfisher

I’ve already written a longer review of this delightful novella on Luna Station Quarterly, but here’s the gist of it. During a terrible drought, a village send their only mage to bring back the rain. Unfortunately, Oliver is only twelve years old, knows a total of four spells, and is not exactly prepared for this sort of an epic undertaking. Fortunately for them all, Oliver (and his familiar, a very down-to-earth armadillo) are able to rise to the challenge.

I hope you’re all staying healthy. Remember to be gentle with yourselves, now more than ever.

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Books for a World on Fire: Part 1

~ J.Z. Weston ~ 1 Comment

The world is still even more of a mess than normal. In the interest of getting through this pandemic with our sanity and spirits in tact, I am taking this opportunity to recommend some light, engaging fiction. Last week, it was podcasts. This week will be the first of two posts focusing on books!

These are are all books that I would describe as fun, and fairly light, the kind where you can relax into the story, trusting that good will triumph and bad will be punished. While I love a good investigation of the gritty realities of the human experience, we have quite enough of that in the real world right now. I’m tired. You’re tired. We need a break.

a pale of books, spine in, with a delicate floral tea cup balanced on top

All Systems Red, by Martha Wells

Murderbot has hacked their own governor module, and is using that new found freedom not to wreak havoc, but to download and watch untold hours of shows. And yet, to keep from being found out, it still has to do its job and protect the clients who the company assigned it to protect. Unfortunately, humans are kind of idiots, and keep getting themselves into terrible trouble, from which Murderbot must protect them.

I don’t know anybody who didn’t enjoy this book. In many ways, Murderbot is every introvert who just wants to be left alone. But Murderbot actually cares more than it admits to itself.

The very first paragraph made me laugh out loud. While the humor is generally wry and under-stated, this is a novella that delivers. Best of all, this is the first in a series of four novellas, so you can spend a decent amount of time following Murderbot’s adventures in self-discovery.

Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

I first encountered this book when I was in high school, and it was the first time I’d seen my own sense of humor – dry as the desert, equal parts amused and irritated by humanity – on the page. It was also my first taste of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. All of which is to say that I have loved this funny book about the apocalypse for a long time.

There’s a sprawling cast of characters, but at its heart live an angel and demon who have been on earth since the beginning of things, and quite like it here. It’s also about a twelve year old Antichrist, the professional descendant of the only accurate prophetess in history, and young man with truly dreadful luck around computers.

It’s a story about loving the things that you were not supposed to love, and refusing to give up, and I think it’s even more relevant today than it was when it was published in 1990.

River of Teeth, by Sarah Gailey

I already wrote a lengthy review of this novella for Luna Station Quarterly, so here’s the elevator pitch. Once upon a time, in the real world, the United States Congress seriously considered stocking the Mississippi River with hippos, as a meat source. Fortunately, they voted against it.

This novella takes place in an alternate time line in which that measure passed, and the Mississippi delta is full of hippo wranglers and feral hippos. It’s funny as hell, filled with the sorts of people who are usually erased from violent heist stories: a bisexual mastermind, a black non-binary munitions expert, a fat French con-woman, and a pregnant Hispanic assassin. The story is violent, so if that’s going to stress you out, consider looking elsewhere. If you really like it, there is a sequel, but you can stop with River of Teeth and feel satisfied with the story.

Until next time!

I’ll have more books to distract you from the chaos and save you from the isolation next time!

Podcasts for a World on Fire

~ J.Z. Weston
A building engulfed in flames

Between U.S. politics and the coronavirus pandemic, it’s hard to deal with the ambient stress level. I’m not a politician or a medical professional, so there’s very little that I can do to help this situation. But what I can do, is recommend distractions.

Whether you’re under quarantine, or just need something easy to focus on as an alternative to twitter, let me share some podcasts that have brought me joy. I’ll write about books and TV shows in upcoming posts.

Kaleidotrope

Do you appreciate the tropes of fanfiction and romantic comedies? Have you ever wished that real life promised such happy endings and neat resolutions? Then I have the audio drama for you!

The entire story is told in a mere ten episodes, each of which is about thirty minutes long, so you don’t have to fear getting involved in something that you won’t have time to finish. Drew and Harrison are reluctant co-hosts of a radio show at the fictional college of Sidlesmith, where every student is guaranteed their meet-cute and happy ending, thanks to the magic of the university founders and their star-crossed romance. Over the course of the story, they help callers with their relationship problems, while also uncovering hidden secrets about the school.

I can not over state how much I loved this story. It’s utterly infectious, without being saccharine, and the actors have amazing chemistry. You can find out more at Kaleidotrope podcast, and listen through your podcast aggregator of choice.

Castle Charming

Do you love Discworld, but you’re in the mood for a slightly more gentle social critique? Do you like M/M and F/F slow burn romance, fairytale tropes, and messed up (if generally well-meaning) royal families?

The Sheep Might Fly podcast is much more than just the Castle Charming novellas – Tansy Rayner Roberts serializes all kinds of different novellas there – but they are my favorites. Over the course of the four novellas, you will get to meet a cast of unique characters, including a foreign princess under a lot of pressure to catch a prince, a beleaguered corporal of the guard and confidante to one of the princes, a tomboy magical princess who really does not have time for anybody else’s BS, a sweet young newspaper reporter who is new to kingdom, and so many more.

The entire Sheep Might Fly archives is helpfully broken down into its component novellas. Be sure to start with Glass Slipper Scandal. Or if you prefer to read them, the author has a new Kickstarter to publish all-revised editions. That runs until April 7, 2020.

And more!

I’m currently listening to Thor: Metal Gods on Serial Box. Since I haven’t finished it yet, I can’t officially recommend it. So far, it’s light and fun and does a surprisingly good job of translating the lengthy action scenes endemic to superhero comics into an audible medium. And who can resist Thor and Loki teaming up with a Korean tiger goddess and a non-binary space pirate?

So those are my top recommendations for some light audio fiction. What are some light, escapist audio stories that you’ve enjoyed recently? Please share your favorites in the comments!