Hamnet

 Hamnet: A Novel of the Plague by Maggie O'Farrell, 372 pages

An award-winning book that had been on my radar for a little while, I was glad to get the chance to read this! Although he is never specifically named, instead being referred to as "the Latin tutor" or "Hamnet's father", etc., this book is a fictionalized story of William Shakespeare and his family. Names are important in this book: Hamnet's mother, Agnes, tells "the Latin tutor" her name is Anne at their first meeting, and the pronunciation of her name is often mentioned throughout the book. Similarly, the book begins with the explanation that during the time period that this book was set, the names Hamlet and Hamnet were interchangeable. So while the reader is always aware that this is a story about William Shakespeare's family, by never naming him, and keeping him out of much of the action (he is in London at this point, gaining fame as an actor and playwright), the reader becomes much more invested in the story of Hamnet and his twin sister Judith, as well as the story of Agnes and her courtship with "the Latin tutor".

As the subtitle states, this is a novel of the plague and the author tells us in advance who in the family will be affected. But the author is excellent at drawing the reader into the story of the family as a whole, and specifically Hamnet and his mother, Agnes. In addition, we learn much about how families lived and interacted during this time, and we get a glimpse of how Shakespeare's family might have functioned, and how his relationship with his wife, in-laws, and his own family might have shaped him. History knows very little about Shakespeare's wife and I found her character in this story to be richly imagined and fascinating. I very much enjoyed this book and have been thinking about it quite a bit since reading it.

MAGIC BLEEDS

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

367 pages

Reviewed by Rae C.

From SLPL Bibliocommons:

The fourth Kate Daniels novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author who "defines urban fantasy" (Fresh Fiction). 

Kate Daniels works for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle--especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community.

When she's called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there's a new player in town. One who's been around for thousands of years--and rode to war at the side of Kate's father.

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family...

What a great series! Every book just gets better and better!  And this one is really significant because we meet another member of Kate's family, her relationship with Curran becomes serious, she gets a dog- and there is a twist in the dog's story which is hilarious and awesome! (Actually two twists in the dog's story.)  The relationship between her and Curran is especially satisfying because they are both so crazy and stubborn, and there are so many obstacles to overcome.

The only drawbacks are the same as the other books- they really read a lot mythology, but none of it retains any of the original flavour, it's all just filtered into modern comic book superhero identities.  But these are fun books, not meant to be serious.  But if, like me, you read a lot of old cycles and stories, and read a lot about world religions, it does require turning your academic brain off.

If you want to read my reviews of the other three, the links can be found here:
https://slplbookchallenge.blogspot.com/2018/11/magic-strikes.html

Champion

Champion by Marie Lu, 369 pages

This appears to be the third book in the Legends trilogy and I felt like it wrapped up pretty well.  June is one of the three Princeps-Elect, meaning she is being groomed to possibly be the head of the Senate.  Day has become the hero of the people and is occupied with caring for his younger brother, Eden.  Busy with their individual lives, Day and June haven’t spoken in several months.  However, a crisis looms once more.  Just as peace negotiations between the Republic and the Colonies begin to look hopeful, a plague breaks out in the Colonies.  Because they believe it is from an old Republic weapon (and they are probably right) they are demanding a cure before they will consider a peace treaty.  The Republic doesn’t have a cure, but with further testing on Eden, who they think is patient zero for this illness, they may be able to create one.  Day, of course, is not willing to risk his brother, now that he has him back.  The situation appears to be at an impasse, but things are not always what they seem.  Although the book is tied up a little too neatly, it’s still a fun read and teen fantasy/dystopia fans will probably enjoy the story.

The Brief History of the Dead

by Kevin Brockmeier, 272 pages.

The end of the month really snuck up on me, so I'm going to write really brief reviews.

When people die, their souls go to a place called the City -- a world between life and death, and a world very similar to the land of the living.  Your non-living self exists in the City only as long as someone carries the memory of you back on Earth.  Once your memory is erased from the world of the living, that person disappears from the City, and goes into the unknown.

A mysterious plague covers the Earth, and as more and more of the living are killed, the City begins to expand and overflow with new inhabitants.  Despite being 'on the other side', the inhabitants of the City still yearn to know what is going on in the world of the living, and maintain strong connections with their lost loved ones on Earth.

Highly recommended!

 

The Remaining

The Remaining D.J. Molles
416 Pages


A virus called FURY has spread throughout the world turning it's victims into mindless animals, attacking uninfected humans.  The United States Army had a contingency plan where each of the lower 48 states has one person inserted into a bunker at the start of any crises to lead and restore civilization using a number of materials silos.  If "Zombies" weren't enough, the survivors also have to deal with militants intent on seizing control of what remains.

 
This is another book that started as an internet bestseller before being picked up by a major publishing house.  Since zombies are popular it fits right into that genre, I especially like how Amazon describes it as Survivor Horror.  It is sort of ironic that I am reading this series at the same time I'm reading a non-fiction book that lays out how to survive a catastrophe and restart civilization. 

Bloody Monday manga series

Bloody Monday Manga Series by Ryao Ryumon, books 1-11, 2280 pages

 The Bloody Monday series is about a group of high school students who are trying to stop a terrorist group based in Japan. The group despite their age is made up of a karate master, an archery champion, and an elite hacker known as Falcon. Together they face what is hailed as the biggest threat to Japan. The entire series is filled with twists and turns, betrayals and violence.

Each novel reads like a T.V. series episode. It repeats the buildup from the last novel and also provides a list of all the major characters and who they are. It then takes you through an “episode” that has the classic buildup, climax and then a resolution at the end. The end also has a hint or two about the problems that will come up in the next book.

Overall I enjoyed reading the series though with some of the characters looking so alike and the use of the unfamiliar honorifics, it sometimes was hard to follow what was happening. Again this series is very well drawn and despite some of the gruesome imagery, the illustrations easily convey the moods and atmosphere needed.

I hope to continue reading more manga in the future but don’t know which series to read. If anyone on here has some recommendations, I would appreciate the help.  

 

Year of Wonders

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, 308 pages.


Based on the plague infection of the village Eyam in 1666, this historical novel offers a horrific telling of life without modern medicine. Told from the perspective of the town rector's housemaid Anna, a vivid picture is painted of how quickly plague demolished the human body, and how desperate people became to try to rid the town of the disease. Everything from witchcraft to flagellation is tried as a means to ward off the plague. If you got it, you had two options: a barber-surgeon, or the local Gowdie family, with their herbs and concoctions. Typically, neither option worked. Every week at church, it is obvious how many have fallen, as the occupied seats keep dwindling. The rector has a revelation that God wants them to suffer so that others will not have to. So, the town quarantines itself and becomes cut off from the rest of society. No one goes in, no one goes out. This decision isn't necessarily the best idea, however.
Historical fiction is a favorite of mine, as I love history but hate reading dry, boring facts and memorizing dates, so it's a good compromise. This book not only gives you a look into the living conditions of the time, it gives you a look at the life of a housemaid and servantry.
This book is an interesting read, just be sure to have a dictionary close by, as she uses much terminology relevant to the time, which involves many words well outdated. Unless, of course, you've got a broad 15th century vocabulary.
P.S. the ending is CRAZY!!!