River of Stars

River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kay's language is as beautiful as ever, but I agree with other reviewers--to many authorial digressions. I read a book like others watch movies, become immersed-and the voice of doom and history really breaks the spell. But Kay may be paying an homage to Chinese literature as well as history? Chinese movies, while beautiful and action-filled, are usually tragic. Not sure if this achieves high tragedy (did not cry, as Kay as sometimes made me do), but as always, I think Kay achieves high art.


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The Harvard Psychedelic Club

The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America by Don Lattin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book needed tighter editing, there are some needless repetitions. Looking at the other reviews, it seems obvious that one has to have some background in the 60s and 70s and/or some experience with entheogens to appreciate most of the book. Context is all...but highly readable, thought-provoking.

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The Imperfectionists

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of Lit-Lovers most-liked Bookclub books. The most interesting character was the newspaper, though it could have been developed more. Most of the actual characters were desperate, dismal, and dreary. I prefer my books to have some uplift. This was a first novel, though. Might give the writer another chance.


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The Tapestry of Love

The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

a slow mover, less about plot than characters and situations and the rural countryside of France. Rather than the humor I tend to go for in my Brit novels, this has an aspect of melancholy, though not without hope. But 4 stars nonetheless, because of the depiction of rural France, and the lovely characters therein. It made me long for my own days of rural living. Also made me long for France or England instead of my desert!


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Cast in Chaos

Cast in Chaos by Michelle Sagara West

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Michelle just keeps getting better! While action is not lacking at all, what I most enjoyed about this particular entry in the series was the further development of the magical system and the power of language. And it's interesting to see the "child of the slums" theme played out in both this series and the Sun Sword/House Wars series. When Michelle deals with magic, it is also an exploration of love and power; that and beautiful writing is what I love about her work.



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Lost Recipe for Happiness

The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars Really good. Really, really good. Magic of food, of memory, of loss, friendship, redemption. Solid depiction of the Southwest as we who are native know it. A writer not only to watch, but to read. View all my reviews >>

Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn

Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I just finished Troubled Waters, and I think it's her best yet. As I neared the end, I was simultaneously wishing to finish and to stretch it out, and I can honestly say it's the first time I ever read a book and hoped it would be a series! I would rather read a thousand or so pages at one time, usually. The "blessings" concept is so charming and true, the people are enjoyable to be around, and the "great evil" is birthed by human greed and pettiness--also true, in the world we live in.
There's a lovely romance, too.

In addition to visiting other worlds, what I most appreciate about reading is that it can give us insights and tools to use in the world we come back to. Instead of passing my copy on to the library, I will have to place it on my shelves to await its future companions. I will enjoy spending time there again and again, as I do in the worlds of Liaden, Elantra, Darkover, Valdemar, and Tortall. (Among others, of course. But after almost fifty years of reading, not many make the cut to stay on the shelves. I try to keep the house count at under 2,000.)

I think Shinn is at the top of her game, and has created another one of those worlds so well-realized that many readers old and new will love to revisit and share.




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