Book Review: To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

"To the Bright Edge of the World" by Eowyn Ivey
First published in 2016
413 pages
My rating: 5 out of 5

The Short Of It:
I loved everything about this historical fiction novel, from the setting -- Alaska and Washington -- to the unique format to the engrossing story to the illustrations. One of my favorite reads this year.

The Long Of It:
I have a weakness for books set in cold, rugged climates, so I was immediately taken in by the gorgeous cover and Alaska setting of this stunning historical fiction novel.

I hardly even knew what I was getting myself into -- but what a treat it turned out to be! It's an epistolary novel, told mostly in journal entries with reports, articles and letters mixed in, along with photographs and illustrations that fit perfectly with the story.

The meat of the novel comes in detailed journal entries by Army Lt. Col. Allen Forrester, who leads a small expedition into uncharted Alaskan wilderness in 1885, and his wife, Sophie, who stays behind at the Vancouver Barracks in Washington Territory.

I absolutely loved vicariously traveling along with Allen on his harrowing adventures. His group encounters natives both friendly and violent, unforgiving ice, raging rivers, towering glaciers, starvation, cold, and fantastical elements drawn from native stories. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the wealth of Alaska Native American history and rich mythology. Women who turn into geese, men who turn into otters, a seemingly immortal raven-man who enjoys hijinks and kindness in equal parts -- I was fascinated by it all, as well as a peek at the natives' way of life before Alaska was bombarded with gold prospectors and missionaries.

Sophie is a naturalist and bird-lover, and her days spent tromping through the woods in search of nests are mystifying to the other officer's wives at the barracks. She's intellectual and independent, and she'd much rather be curled up with a book or seeking out birds than discussing fashion over tea. I actually enjoyed her portions of the book even more than her husband's -- I just completely fell in love with her. She's got resilience and moxie, and I was thrilled when, after a terrible tragedy occurs, she defies social mores and dives head first into the up-and-coming art form of photography, which gives structure to her days and provides an avenue of self expression and an outlet for her grief. Reading about the process of early photography was surprisingly engaging, and I was holding my breath each time Sophie attempted a photo.

On top of the great characters, riveting story, vibrant atmosphere and beautiful writing, I thought the book itself was unusually lovely. The pages are heavy, thick and smooth, and it was such a treat to turn the page and encounter a drawing or photo to perfectly complemented that part of the story.

"To the Bright Edge of the World" is a somewhat quiet and understated character- and setting-driven novel, but I was just as captivated reading it as I was some of my favorite action-packed edge-of-your-seat page-turners this year. If you like the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, if you like historical fiction, if you like adventure novels, if you like strong female characters, then I highly recommend this enchanting book!

Book Review: Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters

"Underground Airlines" by Ben H. Winters
First published in 2016
322 pages
My rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Short Of It:
"Underground Airlines" is an intense speculative fiction novel that imagines the Civil War never happened. It was an interesting read, but it did have some flaws.

The Long Of It:
Ben H. Winters' novel paints a horrifyingly altered version of present day America: the Civil War never took place, and slavery is still legal in four states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Carolina.

The main character is Victor, a former slave who now works off the books for the U.S. Marshals Service to hunt down and recapture escaped slaves, and he is very, very good at it. But if you suspect he didn't take the job because he wanted to, you'd be right -- and he struggles daily with his lost identity and the unfortunate direction his life has gone in. He is a man utterly conflicted.

When the book opens, Victor has just arrived in Indianapolis, and it turns out to be the place things are going to change for him -- for better or worse. The case he's working has some strange inconsistencies, Victor's handler is acting strangely, and Victor learns there's something "special" about the slave he's supposed to be tracking. About halfway through the plot really picks up, and the story barrels -- with some edge-of-your-seat action -- toward a couple shocking and disturbing revelations.

Winters has written a novel that's at once interesting speculative fiction, thriller, and commentary on race in real-life America today. I was both revolted and fascinated by the alternative history aspect: why didn't the Civil War happen, how did slavery hang on, when did various states abolish the practice, trade agreements between the north, the south and other countries, the tense and tenuous relationship between the Hard Four and the rest of the country, the way free blacks are treated (not great, unsurprisingly) and the mechanics and logistics of 21st century slavery.

And Winters gives us a clear look at what this modern-day slavery would be like, shown through flashbacks to Victor's childhood as a Person Bound to Labor at a cattle farm and processing plant. Showing the disgusting atrocities of slavery is definitely necessary to the book, though I do think Winters was unnecessarily heavy-handed in describing the slaughterhouse gore. Let's just say beef didn't make it on the dinner menu this week.

I also had a hard time feeling a connection to Victor. He's not an unlikable guy, but -- even as the story is barreling toward a conclusion that could easily leave Victor dead or, perhaps worse, returned to slavery -- I really never cared what happened to him. I was more interested in the dynamics of the imagined world. The writing was a bit awkward at times; maybe that's part of the reason for the disconnect I had with the protagonist.

Winters did do a decent job subtly inserting thoughts about race issues in (real-life) America, the hot topic in books this year, with lines like:

"Create a pen like that, give people no choice but to live like animals, and then people get to point at them and say Will you look at those animals? That's what kind of people those people are. And that idea drifts up and out of Freedman Town like chimney smoke, black gets to mean poor and poor to mean dangerous and all the words get murked together and become one dark idea, a cloud of smoke, the smokestack fumes drifting like filthy air across the rest of the nation."

It was definitely a thought-provoking read -- and interesting that some of the white-black relations aren't really that different now than they were in the imagined world where slavery still exists. I did find it surprising to glance at the back flap and discover the author is white. In truth, it felt a little strange to be reading a book told in first person by an oppressed, victimized former slave set in a world where all black people are looked at with suspicion and distrust -- penned by a white guy. It seems like slightly dangerous territory for a white author, but I do commend Winters for his effort. It's clear he thinks our real-life race situation needs to change.

10 Good Reads I Discovered Through Recommendations

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is about books we've tried because of recommendations. This is an awesome list full of great reads, and I'm so glad I discovered these books, both through friends and fellow bloggers.

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

5 stars

I'm so grateful to my younger neighbor who gave me the first three books to borrow back in 2000. I'm sure I would've discovered Harry Potter on my own eventually, but this allowed me the unique anticipation and joy of buying and devouring books 4-7 the day they came out.

2. Red Rising by Pierce Brown

5 stars

my review

I had never even heard of "Red Rising" until I saw it on several bloggers' best-of-2014 lists. I read it at the beginning of 2015, then immediately blew through the second book in the series, "Golden Son." Pierce Brown is now one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend the Red Rising series, even if you don't think science fiction is your thing. There's something in the series to appeal to everyone.

3. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

4 stars -- but still one of my faves

my review

I just love this book, which, like "Red Rising," is a novel with sci-fi elements that everyone can enjoy. It wasn't really on my radar at all, but I kept seeing it on blogs and other places and finally decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did! I remember I spent an entire flight from Ohio to Dallas with my nose buried in this book.

4. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

5 stars

my review

I'm not a big fan of YA, especially contemporary YA, but, while this book has teenage main characters, it is so much more than your typical young adult novel. It just blew me away.

5. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

5 stars

I'm a bit of a newbie to the fantasy genre (though I'm reading more and more of it, and it is addicting!), so I didn't know a thing about "Uprooted" until I saw it, like "Red Rising," on many bloggers' best-of-the-year lists, this time in 2015. I read "Uprooted" this spring and it will definitely be on my best-of-the-year list come December!

6. Saga by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples

5 stars

"Saga" was my first real graphic novel and I was instantly hooked. The series is this amazing blend of great characters, science fiction, space odyssey, warfare, profanity, humor, violence and wackiness. I had no idea that such an utterly engrossing story could be told mostly through illustrations.

7. The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy

4 stars

my review

A library co-worker recommended this pseudo-autobiographical novel about an American coming of age in Paris in the 1950s. It was a riot to read, but it had heart too.

8. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

4? stars

As you can see, I'm still not sure how I felt about this one, but I do know it's a book I will never forget. I initially had absolutely no interest in it -- I was totally turned off by the cover and the over 700-page length. But I saw it read and loved by so many bloggers with reading tastes similar to mine that I finally decided to give it a try this summer. While I'll probably never decide if I loved or hated it, I'm glad I read it.

9. The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton

5 stars

My best friend, Katie, sent me this one to read several years ago. It's a memoir about a young woman who settles in middle-of-nowhere Wyoming in hopes of finding herself -- and in the process finds herself the parent of an orphaned coyote pup. The pictures of Charlie the Coyote are stunning and adorable!

10. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

4 stars

my review

After I finished (and loved, obviously) the Hunger Games trilogy, a friend recommended I try the Maze Runner series. Not as good, but it definitely kept my interest!

Monday Musings

My Saturday evening.

My week: After working all those crazy hours lately, Jarrod got Thursday and Friday off, and he took all of next week off for my mom's visit. It's been so nice to have him around for a change! I had some discouraging news on the job front, though. I had really been hoping to find work at a library while we're here in Hawaii, but it's likely not going to happen any time soon. The public library seldom has openings (and even when they finally do, it would be a major stroke of luck for it to be at the library near our house), and I finally went in and had a chat with my old boss at the base library where I worked last time we were stationed here, and she doesn't expect any openings for an entire year. I'm going absolutely nuts sitting at home by myself so much, so that means it's time to start exploring other options... though I'm not too sure what those might be. There are plenty of good things about the military life, but some of the biggest downsides are leaving behind good jobs and struggling to find employment each time we move.

Reading: I finished "Underground Airlines" by Ben H. Winters, which is set in a present-day America where the Civil War never occurred and slavery is still legal in four states. It was a decent read, though I think it could've been better.

I took a mini reading break, then dove into "To the Bright Edge of the World" by Eowyn Ivey. It's an epistolary novel told in journal entries, letters and articles -- and even includes photos and drawings -- set mostly in 1885 Alaska and Washington Territory. I absolutely loved it and gave it 5 stars! I haven't read Ivey's first book, "The Snow Child," but now I'm definitely hoping to get to it soon. It's also set in Alaska, and I have a thing for books that take place in cold, rugged climates.

Last night I started "Rebecca," the gothic mystery by Daphne Du Maurier, which I've been meaning to read for ages, and next up will be "The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton. I've read two of Kate's books and enjoyed them both, and I'd like to read all her work. (Two more to go after this one.)

Knitting: Not much happening on the knitting front; I made another little stuffed hummingbird this week, but that's it. I need to sit down and do some research so I can order some yarn that'll be suitable for re-starting my Earnest cardigan. (If you recall, I had to set it aside after weeks of work because the yarn I was using wasn't getting the proper gauge and it was coming out way too small.) I also have my eye on a kit for the "Gilmore Girls" mystery knit-along. It's a cowl, which I definitely don't need here in Hawaii, but I love the yarn colors that the kit comes with, and it'd be fun to work on it while watching the "GG" revival. Plus mystery knits are just so much fun! Aaaand my birthday is coming up this month, so perhaps it'll be a gift to myself.

Watching: I watched and thoroughly enjoyed the second half of this season's "Grantchester," which follows the adventures of Sidney Chambers, village vicar/amateur sleuth, in 1950s Cambridgeshire. The more I see of this show the more I love it, and I was thrilled to read it's been renewed for a third season. And Jarrod and I watched the first two episodes of the current season of "Poldark," which just started back on PBS. I love that Jarrod will watch it with me! It takes place in gorgeous Cornwall, England, just after the Revolutionary War.

Eating: I made some tasty white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies this week. And tomorrow I'm baking another batch of those deeelish pumpkin cinnamon rolls for my mom's visit.

Blogging:
Monday Musings
10 Great Reads With Despicable Villains
Book Review: The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (4.5 stars)
Book Review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (4.5 stars)
Book Review: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (4.5 stars)
I Judge Books by Their Covers: Uprooted

Looking forward to: My mom gets here tomorrow! She'll be visiting for almost a week, and we're taking a little getaway to Kauai, our favorite island, for a few days while she's here. I'm so excited!

I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

I Judge Books by Their Covers: Uprooted

I just finished (and loved) Naomi Novik's "His Majesty's Dragon," book 1 in her Temeraire series. (Temeraire, by the way, is the name of a dragon, and here's my review.) So I thought it might be an appropriate time to do a cover competition for the book that introduced me to Naomi Novik, "Uprooted," a delightful fantasy novel that's one of my favorite reads this year.

U.S. hardcover // U.K. hardcover

U.K. paperback

This is a toughie because I don't dislike any of these covers. I think the U.S. cover best compliments the story; it definitely conveys that medieval Europe vibe and makes it clear that there's magic involved.

The U.K. covers are more my style, though, and artistically I like them better. The paperback has many of the same images as the hardback, but for me the hardback takes the cake. For one thing, the primary hue -- that minty turquoise -- is my favorite color. And I like the village scene. It's just such a pretty picture with pretty, eye-catching colors and fun shapes! If all three of these books were next to each other, I wouldn't discount any of them but I know I would gravitate toward the U.K. hardback. Do tell: which cover do you prefer?

My winner: U.K. hardback

Book Review: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

"His Majesty's Dragon" by Naomi Novik
Book 1 in the Temeraire series
First published in 2006
342 pages
My rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Short Of It:
I loved this fun fantasy novel set in an alternate history in which dragons exist. It was a joy to read and I can't wait to continue the series!

The Long Of It:
I was unfamiliar with fantasy writer Naomi Novik until I absolutely devoured her standalone novel "Uprooted" earlier this year, and I was thrilled to learn she has a long-running series that I can sink my talons into.

The Temeraire series is historical fantasy, set during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s -- with the very important addition of dragons to the equation. Dragons are used in battle on both sides -- for their own abilities like spitting acid, for carrying men to shoot guns and drop bombs almost like a plane, and of course to fight other dragons. In Britain, dragon handlers are known as aviators and are exclusively trained for the job from childhood.

British navy captain Will Laurence is plenty happy doing his duty to king and country on his ship, but when his crew captures a French vessel carrying the very precious cargo of a dragon egg his life is forever changed. The egg hatches when the boat is still weeks from shore, and a human must bond with the dragon to prevent it from going feral. Will just so happens to be the person the dragon -- who comes out of the egg already knowing how to speak -- chooses to be his aviator, forging a nearly unbreakable bond between man and dragon. Will names his dragon Temeraire after a famous ship, and thus begins the life of a very special dragon and his unusual aviator.

Temeraire is highly intelligent, curious, thoughtful and kind, and his unique start in life along with his rare breed make him a bit different from other dragons, an endearing combination that makes it impossible for readers not to fall in love with him. Will is almost as likable, with his gentlemanly manners and utmost concern for Temeraire's happiness and welfare.

The dragons are part pet, part partner, part best friend and -- most important to Britain -- part weapon, and Will and Temeraire are immediately sent to start training together once they reach land. I loved getting acquainted with the unique world of dragons and aviators, as well as the mechanics of a militaristic battle involving dragons, and I thought Novik did a great job painting bright, vivid, descriptive scenes. I also enjoyed her writing, which was easy to read but gave the book a definite 19th century flavor.

I adored the whimsical, exciting adventure of "His Majesty's Dragon" and I'm looking forward to diving into book 2 -- in which Will and Temeraire journey to China -- soon!

Book Review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

"Dark Matter" by Blake Crouch
First published in 2016
340 pages
My rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Short Of It:
What a crazy ride! I highly recommend this one.

The Long Of It:
Blake Crouch has written an incredible genre-blending mind-bender that I found impossible to put down. "Dark Matter" is a perfect mix of science fiction, edge-of-your-seat thriller and utterly romantic love story.

You'll love Chicago physics professor Jason Dessen, who is both a brilliant mind and a completely devoted family man and you'll be cheering for him to puzzle his way out of the impossible, mindblowing situation he's found himself in after being held at gunpoint, kidnapped and drugged while walking home one night. When he wakes up, he's surrounded by people in hazmat suits who are convinced he's someone he's not, or at least, he doesn't think he is -- an unmarried award-winning scientific genius. What's real and what's not? Who is the real Jason Dessen?

Crouch deftly weaves together theoretical physics (in a way regular people can understand!), touches of post-apocalyptic thriller, great writing, a dynamic main character and an addicting gotta-find-out-what-happens-next plot to create an awesome novel that'll leave your head swimming. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I really wish Crouch gave us a glimpse of what became of one of the other characters we get to know, maybe in a brief epilogue.

I loved this unique, speculative book and it's one of my favorites of the year!