Jul 23 2023

Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes by Rob Wilkins

Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes is something of a second-hand autobiography. Wilkins was Pratchett’s personal assistant from 2000 until Pratchett’s death in 2015 of a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s. He was also in possession of the notes toward an autobiography that Pratchett made but never turned into a full manuscript. As time went on, and particularly in the final years as Pratchett’s faculties diminished, Wilkins’ role increased: he read speeches that Pratchett had written; when Pratchett eventually took to social media, the Twitter account was @terryandrob. “Later on, Terry said to me, ‘It appears we now share a brain.'” (p. 11) So this is as close as readers will ever get to a Pratchett autobiography, and it is also a biography by someone as close to him as anyone who wasn’t family.

Terry Pratchett A Life with Footnotes by Rob Wilkins

The truth is, I bounced right out of A Life With Footnotes the first time I sat down to read it and didn’t even make it through the introduction. Here’s what threw me:

I was also fired many times over, although one quickly learned that Terry, being a writer, had an experimental interest in saying things to see what they sounded like, and that if you adopted an experimental approach yourself, and simply turned up the next day, it would normally turn out that you hadn’t been fired at all. (p. 9)

I think that’s a rotten way to treat someone, let alone someone who works for you, let alone someone who’s meant to be your personal assistant. Immediately after that alarming report, Wilkins mentions Neil Gaiman’s introduction to a collection of Pratchett’s non-fiction in which he made a point of noting that Pratchett was not a jolly old elf. Pratchett had a deep well of anger — “This anger was the engine that powered Good Omens,” he told Gaiman — but it was anger in service of fairness and of decency. Fortunately, Pratchett had an expansive definition of who deserved fairness and decency: everyone.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/23/terry-pratchett-a-life-with-footnotes-by-rob-wilkins/

Jul 21 2023

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

S.A. Chakraborty spends the first fifty or so pages of The City of Brass creating an alternative fantasy Cairo that’s so multifaceted, so lively, so enthralling and exciting that I never really reconciled to the characters’ departure. Sure, Daevabad is the fabled City of Brass. It’s full of djinn in all of their different clans; it’s practically pulsing with magic; it’s monumental and gorgeous. But give me Cairo’s alleys and markets where Nahri plies her various trades of thieving and deceiving. Give me all the peoples that the Nile, history, and Cairo’s fabulous wealth have brought together. Give me her Jewish apothecary friend and teacher, though they exasperate each other. Give me gullible Turks, Nubian ceremonies, Franks as unseen rulers of the city whose authority clearly does not extend to much of the streets.

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

Nahri is a young woman of uncertain background — though she says “I am as Egyptian as the Nile” (p. 6) to a Turkish basha she is setting up for a burglary — who is making her way by her wits, healing talents, and convincing impressions of being a medium. She steals, of course, but it’s in the best traditions of the protagonist of a fantasy story. She does it with style and élan, mostly from people who can well afford it, and she aids people less fortunate than even her precarious self.

Until one day when she accidentally calls forth a real djinn mere hours after she said to her apothecary friend “There’s no magic, no djinn, no spirits waiting to eat us up.” (p. 27) By the time she regrets her words, she’s caught between a djinn, an ifrit, and grabbed by ghouls springing up from Cairo’s largest burial grounds. To say nothing of the flying carpet.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/21/the-city-of-brass-by-s-a-chakraborty/

Jul 20 2023

The Color Of Always edited by Brent Fisher & Michele Abounader

An LGBTQIA+ Love Anthology.

While all anthologies can be hit and miss, comics collections tend to be more so, I feel, as it’s a more complicated medium to synthesize into one cohesive collection. This is, ofc, due in large part to the visual aspect making it immediately obvious if things aren’t meshing.

Thematically, this book works, even if the overall beats of the collection tend to land a little strangely. The title opener by Brent Fisher, Elisa Romboli and Ariana Maher is an upbeat tale of courage and love, and is the most polished, art-wise. This is immediately followed by the sweet Claddagh by Julia Paiewonsky and Alex Putprush, an affecting slice-of-life comic about falling in love.

The next story, Tethered, is a lot of people and a lot of pages to tell not very much at all. Fortunately, the volume picks up again with Lilian Hochwender and Gabe Martini’s Sea Change, telling the story of a young sailor who falls overboard during a storm and finds terror and transformation within the ocean depths. Letting It Fall by Priya Saxena and Jenny Fleming is really great until the awkwardly underwhelming art of the last full-page panel, which does a disservice to the rest of the story and its delightfully retro illustrations.

Long Away by Tillie Bridges, Susan Bridges and Richard Fairgray was one of my favorite stories here, as a young woman travels back in time to meet the father who died way too soon. All That Glitters by Michele Abounader and Tench uses very few words to elegantly describe how a struggling nonbinary person gets some great advice from a drag queen.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/20/the-color-of-always-edited-by-brent-fisher-michele-abounader/

Jul 18 2023

John Tiffany Vol. 1 by Stephen Desberg & Dan Panosian

Every time I see a square-jawed black-haired white dude with a five o’clock shadow in comics, I immediately think Jon Hamm. Is that weird?

Our book’s namesake hero is another Jo(h)n. John Tiffany is a very successful bounty hunter whose inner circle consists of only four people. First there’s Dorothy, his right hand woman, whose politics are decidedly right wing. Then there’s Wan Chao, who worked computers for the Shanghai Triads before joining John’s operation. His main focus nowadays is studying Judaism so he can convert and marry his lady love. Pastor Lovejoy isn’t exactly a proponent of the prosperity gospel, but definitely encourages John to do whatever it takes to get the job done so long as his intentions are good. Finally, Magdalena Profokiev is the love of John’s life, an elusive sex worker drifting right out of his reach.

It’s while John is in Mexico chasing down a lead that he realizes that one of these four people must have betrayed him. An $800,000 bounty has been placed on his head, probably by the brother of a terrorist he’d recently handed over to the Americans. In order to get the bounty lifted, and to figure out which of the only four adults in his life that he trusts has turned on him, he’ll have to travel to Karachi and have a… discussion with the man out for his blood.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/18/john-tiffany-vol-1-by-stephen-desberg-dan-panosian/

Jul 17 2023

The Meltdown (Diary Of A Wimpy Kid #13) by Jeff Kinney

My eldest child has had his computer taken away from him this summer so he’s been spending a lot of free time not only re-reading his Diary Of A Wimpy Kid books, but also pestering me about my opinions of them. I’ve been trying to get him to read some new books, to no avail, but recently realized that I’d confused this installment with Cabin Fever and its absolute nightmare of poor Susan having to take care of three kids while snowbound and with broken glasses. Since I couldn’t very well urge him to read something new while neglecting to read some of his favorites, I sat down with him to go over this completely different wintry installment of the series.

Our Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley continues to navigate middle school with his usual mix of laziness and imagination. As the book opens, his area is experiencing a heat wave that has everyone thrown for a loop. School management has the heat up high despite the mild temperatures outside, leading to some uncomfortable and gross (but honestly hilarious) situations. When snow finally comes, Greg has to figure out ways to avoid the indignities it brings with it, not helped by his neighborhood dynamics.

The kids of Upper Surrey Street (where Greg lives) and Lower Surrey Street do not get along. Upper Surrey Street is built on a slope, whereas the lower part is on flatland. Thus the lowlanders get to enjoy all sorts of athletics, while the slope of the upper street makes summer — and spring and autumn — ball sports far more frustrating. Reveling in their advantage, the lowlanders refuse to let the highlanders play on their territory. The situation is dramatically reversed in the winter, however, when the slope makes for excellent sledding. The highland kids aren’t going to let the slights of the rest of the year go, and defend their land from any incursions.

Things come to a head when, inspired by tales of igloos, Greg and his best friend Rowley decide to build a snow fort on a vacant lot. This soon turns into a massive neighborhood wall against the lowlanders, followed by all out war. Will Greg and Rowley be able to survive with their skins, and perhaps more importantly their dignities, intact?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/17/the-meltdown-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-13-by-jeff-kinney/

Jul 16 2023

Drowned Country by Emily Tesh

This review inevitably has spoilers for Silver in the Wood.

Emily Tesh returns to Victorian England to show readers what has happened since the end of Silver in the Wood, and it starts out with a right mess. Henry Silver, fastidious when last seen, has allowed Greenhallow Hall to fall into disrepair, nearly into ruin. Its collapse has progressed enough to allow a dryad to enter, something that could not have happened when the Hall was still a home. Henry himself, no longer lord of the manor but rather of the Wood, is rather worse for the wear, “wearing the ragged remains of what had been one of his better shirts, and no socks or shoes.” (p. 13) He tries to put a brave face on it — “Was he hot the Lord of the Wood, nearer demigod than mortal man, master of time and seasons, beasts and birds, earth and sky?” (p. 13) — but the dryad Bramble has bad news: His mother has come to visit.

Drowned Country by Emily Tesh

Mrs. Silver is not merely a Victorian widow of strict habits and firm views, she is also a practical folklorist, skilled in tracking down England’s bumpier supernatural creatures and ensuring that they do not trouble the good folks just trying to get on with their lives. Permanently, if need be. “Silver had never dared to ask her if she was really still mourning his father or if she just found the sober attire of the widow convenient for her purposes. Hunting monsters could be a messy business. Bloodstains hardly showed on black.” (p. 17) And she is having none of Henry’s melodramatic nonsense. Mr Finch is away in Rothport.

“Your father also liked to sulk,” said Mrs Silver.
“I am not sulking,” said Silver.
“I cannot think what else to call it,” Mrs Silver said, “when a healthy young person insists on building himself a thorn-girt fortress and sitting in it consuming nothing but sour fruit and small beer for months on end.” (p. 19)

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/16/drowned-country-by-emily-tesh/

Jul 13 2023

The Wife App by Carolyn Mackler

I’m not sure how it happened, but way too many Millennial women in the United States have been raised to be people-pleasers in a manner that horrifies my late Gen X/geriatric Millennial sensibilities. Somehow, they’ve been persuaded by “Lean In” and “yes and” culture (with a healthy dose of late-stage capitalism) to think that having it all means running yourself ragged and putting everyone but yourself first. Ironically, that’s the kind of thing they’d pretend to disparage in Boomers while doing the very same themselves (and I know several Gen Xers who also fall into this trap yet, on balance, make up a much smaller percentage of our cohort.)

The three New York City women at the heart of this book exemplify this problem, all quietly seething at the perceived injustices of their lives. Lauren kicked out her husband after discovering his secret sexual life, and is further blindsided when he chooses to make inappropriate relationship choices after their divorce. Independently wealthy Madeline has spent most of her adult life being the mother she never had for her now-teenage daughter Arabella, and doesn’t know what to do when her ex-husband in London starts talking about bringing their daughter to come live with him for a year. Sophie is struggling to pay the bills for her two kids while her deadbeat ex and his gorgeous, accomplished new wife and baby have the Instagram-perfect life she can’t help obsessing over.

One drunken dinner between the three friends persuades Lauren to launch a service called The Wife App, sort of a Task Rabbit on steroids. After the women complain about the thankless Mental Load they’ve always taken on as wives and mothers — mostly in planning, organizing, and mentally and emotionally supporting their families — tech-oriented Lauren decides to build an app for a service that takes over. After all, if you can hire housekeepers and nannies, why not hire a family organizer and counselor, essentially a Wife without all the sex and romance? Gloria Steinem would be proud.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/13/the-wife-app-by-carolyn-mackler/

Jul 11 2023

The P Word: A Manual For Mammals by David Hu & Ilias Arahovitis (GIVEAWAY)

Growing up, I never thought I’d be the mother to three boys. I always imagined having daughters whom I would try to guide through life with grace and thoughtfulness based on my own experiences. While my sons are a delight, there are certain subjects I feel less than perfectly equipped to advise them on. Unsurprisingly, penises is one of those.

So I was super glad to receive a copy of this book and see how the experts deal with the subject! David Hu is a father and a professor of mechanical engineering and biology down at the Georgia Institute of Technology, who was moved to write this kids’ book because of conversations he had about bodies and their maintenance with his own son. The P Word goes over what a penis is, its biological functions in the body’s elimination and reproduction systems, and how to keep it clean and healthy. It’s written in an accessible, matter-of-fact fashion that is scientifically accurate while still being engaging for young readers. Heck, even this older reader learned new things, especially in the comparative biology sections. That said, I liked the parts about keeping the penis clean and safe best, with its considerate advice on urination, hygiene and sports protection. I also deeply appreciated the paragraphs on consent and talking to trusted adults about any concerns. Mr Hu keeps his text shame-free and health (physical, mental and emotional) focused, making this the perfect book to hand to your young penis-haver.

I actually gave this to my twelve year-old, who very emphatically did not want to read this with me but was happy to go over it on his own. This is the same kid who selected a book about periods to read one time, again in privacy, tho he did ask me relevant questions afterwards. And I get it: privacy is important! I’m just happy that I’m able to answer his questions about bodies as a parent, and that The P Word has given us a really good framework for having frank conversations regarding this specific organ.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/11/the-p-word-a-manual-for-mammals-by-david-hu-ilias-arahovitis-giveaway/

Jul 06 2023

The Facts Of Life by Paula Knight

Did I look at the fact that Doug and I had just featured five books in a row by men before deliberately picking up this graphic novel created by a woman to read and review? Darn right I did. Bonus for it coming in my recent shipment of sale books from Penn State University Press. Thank you, feminism, for forcing me to read a book I’d recently purchased in a timely manner.

The Facts Of Life is an intensely personal, deeply moving story of being a woman growing up and maturing in the back half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, and all the pressures that society placed in those years on women to get married and have kids. Polly, as Paula Knight names her stand-in, is born in England’s Northeast in 1969, a time of rapidly changing social mores. Even though contraceptives on demand are giving women and families freedom to control their reproduction, it’s widely accepted that woman are still going to start families and have children when the time is right.

Polly has always known this, even if the misinformation she picks up as a kid — not helped by her parents’ generationally-typical prudishness regarding sex education — puts her well off sex and reproduction. While sex eventually becomes a regular part of her life once she’s an adult, she’s ambivalent about reproduction. It isn’t that she doesn’t want to have kids. But between her diagnosis with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, her chosen career as an illustrator and unlucky timing with her long-term relationships, she doesn’t actually feel that she’s in a good place to have and raise a child till she’s well into her 30s.

At first, everything seems fine. Her health is good, her finances stable and her partner, after a bout of ambivalence of his own, supportive. To their joy, they get pregnant fairly quickly. But then Polly starts bleeding, and they soon discover that she’s having a miscarriage.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/06/the-facts-of-life-by-paula-knight/

Jul 03 2023

The Couscous Chronicles by Azzedine T. Downes

Stories Of Food, Love, And Donkeys From A Life Between Cultures. With a foreword by Dr Jane Goodall.

I am so glad Azzedine T Downes’ friends persuaded him to write a book about his travels, because this memoir is amazing! Funny and thoughtful, it’s a wonderful debut and hopefully the first of many more fascinating books about his life and philosophies.

The Couscous Chronicles covers Mr Downes’ adult life from when he was a Peace Corps officer suspected of being a spy for the CIA in Morocco, roughly to the end of his tenure with the agency. As a young teacher in 1980s Morocco, his blue eyes and prematurely greying hair caused much suspicion, as most of the people he met had a hard time believing that he was Muslim, American and decently proficient in Arabic. Soon enough, he was attracting the attention of many locals eager to betroth him, either to themselves or to their available relatives. While he was definitely amenable to having a marriage arranged by Islamic tradition, there were some catches that he was definitely uninterested in, leading him to eventually flee Morocco for the relative safety of post-graduate studies in Harvard. His career would eventually take him back to the Middle East as a newly married man. After his posting in Yemen, he was sent to Eastern Europe with his young family, before becoming the Peace Corps’ chief of operations in Jerusalem.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2023/07/03/the-couscous-chronicles-by-azzedine-t-downes/