January 2018 Wrap Up

For the month of January, I've read 7 books. Shall we talk about them? 

Book #1: Dragon Seed by Pearl S. Buck

One of the more political novels from the pen of Pearl Buck, Dragon Seed brings to light the tragedy of the Japanese invasion and occupation of mainland China during WWII. Centering her story around the fictional family of Ling Tan, Buck recreates the heart wrenching devastation that war inflicted on these gentle innocent people. Ling Tan and his family were simple farmers living in peaceful isolation. Western technology, and likewise the machinery of war, were unknown in these outlying regions of China. And even though literacy was on the rise among the younger generations, the alarming reports of foreign aggression went largely ignored. For the peasants, the transition from one political ruler to another was virtually inconsequential; life revolved around their farms and their villages. Patriotism was not the concept of loving and defending a country; their land was their country. But as the invasion moves inland and the roads are jammed with survivors fleeing west, Ling Tan and his neighbors are forced to face the harsh realities of war. "Days passed and with the rulers gone the people held themselves the more steadfast knowing that they and they alone were left to stand against the enemy and upon each man himself now depended what would happen. So it had happened again and again in other times, for rulers anywhere are always the first to fly, and the people must stay behind to be steadfast.

This isn't quite the edition I have, but I couldn't find a picture for that one. The one I have is from 1942. I rated this book 4/5 stars, and I read it over a period of 124 days. I found plot to be interesting, but not necessarily related to the tag line on the cover. There was no mention of the Japanese until the end of the book when one Japanese man yelled "banzai" at the man writing out his report, Wu Lien. I couldn't really tell what was meant to be the main theme at first. Then slowly I realized the theme was resistance and keeping yourself able to resist. Ling Tan kept his family healthy by not really providing everything he grew to the enemy. He understood what he needed to do to protect his wife and children, and he did it. He did not take the offer made to him by his son-in-law, Wu Lien, because he didn't think that they should just kowtow to the enemy like that. I would have liked to see more of that thought line. Why was the enemy specifically in the village and why did Ling Tan find them so abhorrent? I thought the story was decent. I didn't give it the fifth star partly because of the way one thing in particular was said. Ling Sao (Ling Tan's wife) said that if a woman could not find a husband, she may as well kill herself because what else could she do? That line rubbed me all sorts of the wrong way. I understand that's what it was like back then, but that certainly isn't the way now. Overall, I did like the book enough to pick up more by Pearl S. Buck in the future. 

Book #2: Slaughter: Origin Story by James Beltz

Every unlikely hero has a beginning. It is usually a backstory filled with painful tragedy and a desperate struggle to overcome. Along with every hero, there is a supporting cast that makes the painful bearable, and the quest they are on, possible. This is the backstory of one such unlikely hero. David John Slaughter, or DJ as he prefers to be called, is just your normal everyday man. Just a guy. Then life ambushed him and stole everything he valued most. Now, years later, after finally finding some way to deal with the pain and anger that still resides deep in his heart, he is threatened once more. But this time he is more prepared. This time he has the skills to effectively fight back. This time he is just as lethal as the enemy that pursues him.

I rated this one 3/5 stars, and read it over a period of 177 days. The plot of the story was amazing. All DJ wanted was to be left alone to practice on his homemade range peacefully. He didn't bother anyone, and no one bothered him. Enter Mason....something or other, son of Charles "Big Chuck" something. They were both so ineffective as antagonists, that I can't even remember their last name. They ended up being that underwhelming as characters. Everything else read like an action movie. Only almost believable. Of course everything worked out perfectly for DJ in the end. I'm glad though that even he was surprised at some of it, because there were a lot of points that felt a little too deus ex machina for me. Beltz wrote himself into a corner and only divine intervention could get him out (in the form of Mother Nature herself stepping in and saving DJ's ass). Too many things were just outlandishly good luck for me to rate it over a 3. There's no way someone as skilled with any form of projectile weaponry as DJ is to be that deficient in hand to hand combat. He would know it in the event that he is disarmed. I wasn't sure what in the world was up with Abbi's character. She was like a mesh between Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds and Ziva David from NCIS. No one is like that. At least no one that I can think of. I really didn't like the relationship between her and DJ. He's got to be at least fifteen years older than she is, if she's just going into college now. It was really inappropriate. The book was okay, but I'm unlikely to read anything more from James Beltz.


Book #3: Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction—stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013—as well “Black Dog,” a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection. Trigger Warning explores the masks we all wear and the people we are beneath them to reveal our vulnerabilities and our truest selves. Here is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explore the realm of experience and emotion. In Adventure Story—a thematic companion to The Ocean at the End of the Lane—Gaiman ponders death and the way people take their stories with them when they die. His social media experience A Calendar of Tales are short takes inspired by replies to fan tweets about the months of the year—stories of pirates and the March winds, an igloo made of books, and a Mother’s Day card that portends disturbances in the universe. Gaiman offers his own ingenious spin on Sherlock Holmes in his award-nominated mystery tale The Case of Death and Honey. And Click-Clack the Rattlebag explains the creaks and clatter we hear when we’re all alone in the darkness. A sophisticated writer whose creative genius is unparalleled, Gaiman entrances with his literary alchemy, transporting us deep into the realm of imagination, where the fantastical becomes real and the everyday incandescent. Full of wonder and terror, surprises and amusements, Trigger Warning is a treasury of delights that engage the mind, stir the heart, and shake the soul from one of the most unique and popular literary artists of our day. 

Yeah I read a 308-page book in a single day I did skip a section (The Case of Death and Honey) because I had read it back on the sixth, in honor of Mr Sherlock Holmes's 164th birthday. Everything else was read on the 15th. All of the stories and poems were amazing. I love how most of the stories were almost believable. Right up until the reveal. Especially how he told the "Black Dog" story. I've read the related novel and it just fit in wonderfully. They were each good in their own way, making it difficult to actually chose a favorite. My top are going to definitely be "Black Dog", The Case of Death and Honey, and probably the one I've forgotten the name of about the Misty Isle. Those ones were definitely among the absolute best. Mr. Gaiman has once again proved his wit to me as a writer and I will definitely be picking up more of his works. He makes me question just how reality actually works.


Book #4: Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman

A series of fascinating Chinese stories, strong in humor and rich in Chinese wisdom, in which the author has caught admirably the spirit of Chinese life and thought.

Two books of short stories completed for the year. This one was nowhere near as impressive as the other one. Many of the stories were hard to follow because of the repeating of certain names (Nu Wa appears twice and Ching Chi thrice as different people), name parts (Ah, Mei, Ching, Fu, Wu, Lang, Ting....) and words that I am sure are not really Chinese at all. What else can one expect though? The book was written by an American in the mid 1920s. I should have realized it would not stand up to such works written by Chinese authors. My top two favorite stories are Chop-Sticks because I know the common history of chopsticks, and this is only partially correct. It was because cutlery was seen as dangerous. Specifically knives, by Confucius. And The Moon Maiden because of how outlandish it is. With it's lack of atmosphere, space is way below absolute zero. Ting Tsun would have frozen to death within seconds of leaving the stratosphere. If he were even alive. He would suffocate after maybe a few minutes in the stratosphere. I didn't understand why the King didn't keep his word and then why Ting Tsun didn't confront him about it (with the Dragon King's sword). Also people can't live on the moon or Venus!! With average temperatures on the moon either ~-300˚F/+300˚F and Venus a steady 450-500˚F, you would freeze and boil at the same time. It's just impossible. I wish I knew why people thought you could? I'm not sure if Arthur Bowie Chrisman ever wrote anything else, but I know I won't be reading it if he did. It was a let down. I was very disappointed with this. 


Book #5: Rat Queens 4: High Fantasies by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Owen Gieni

The Queens are back! Palisade is still a rat-infested hell hole, and Violet, Hannah, Dee, Betty, and the brand-new Queen, Braga are the only hope of saving it! It’s been a long time since they’ve done a good slaughter, so join them as they get back to the basics of killing monsters and drinking away the profits! This is a fresh, hilarious new take on the RAT QUEENS with new artist OWEN GIENI! 

It's not what I thought it was going to be. My memory of #3 is a little poor, but I had thought they would have picked up right where #3 left off...not where they did. Barrie pissed me off. He found the fine line between good natured sibling rivalry and full on assault and tore his way across it. To the point where Betty, the good natured (usually stoned) Smidgen, had had enough and punched him in the balls. I couldn't feel bad for him if I had tried. It was outside my abilities. He was simply terrible. This isn't to say the graphic novel was bad. It was actually pretty good. I don't get the relevance it has in the plot overall, beyond introducing Braga as a Rat Queen and Barrie forming the “rival” group the Cat Kings. There was brief mention of orc Dave as lost to the Sky Squid Cult, but nearly the entire thing was random unrelated questing nonsense. Buddy was funny. When first seen, I thought he was a Smidgen sized semi-sentient penis with googly eyes. Turns out he's a Smidgen sized semi-sentient mushroom with googly eyes. Not all that different! The art was exceptional as always. I enjoyed being able to actually see Hannah's horns this time around. I look forward to #5 and to see what becomes of orc Dave and the other cult members. I want to know about what happened in the year between #3 and #4!


Book #6: The Mortifications by Derek Palacio 

In 1980, a rural Cuban family is torn apart during the Mariel Boatlift. Uxbal Encarnacion father, husband, political insurgent refuses to leave behind the revolutionary ideals and lush tomato farms of his sun-soaked homeland. His wife Soledad takes young Isabel and Ulises hostage and flees with them to America, leaving behind Uxbal for the promise of a better life. But instead of settling with fellow Cuban immigrants in Miami's familiar heat, Soledad pushes further north into the stark, wintry landscape of Hartford, Connecticut. There, in the long shadow of their estranged patriarch, now just a distant memory, the exiled mother and her children begin a process of growth and transformation. Each struggles and flourishes in their own way: Isabel, spiritually hungry and desperate for higher purpose, finds herself tethered to death and the dying in uncanny ways. Ulises is bookish and awkwardly tall, like his father, whose memory haunts and shapes the boy's thoughts and desires. Presiding over them both is Soledad. Once consumed by her love for her husband, she begins a tempestuous new relationship with a Dutch tobacco farmer. But just as the Encarnacions begin to cultivate their strange new way of life, Cuba calls them back. Uxbal is alive, and waiting.

The first word that comes to mind to describe this book is lonely. Each in their own way is alone, and feels that loneliness. You couldn't not feel it with them. Uxbal, a member of the counterrevolutionary faction, wants his family to remain in Buey Arriba, Cuba. Is this for the sake of keeping the family together or for not losing two potential rebels who are still too young to really understand? It doesn't work. Soledad takes the children all the way to Hartford in her attempt to escape the life she has. I find it interesting that everyone drifts. Some without even realizing it. Emotion like this is difficult to describe. Even for those who have witnessed the passing of a loved one firsthand as I have. Putting it into words will be something of a challenge. Let me see if I can't try anyway? Soledad is at first the picture of a perfect mother. She leaves the only home she's ever known for the sake of her children. Even leaving behind her husband. I can relate on only the basest of levels as I am not a parent myself, but I can see the emotion she's come from. It was a terrifying time for women and children in Cuba. Ulises and Isabel grow up nearly entirely different lives. One going to spirituality, the other decidedly not. The closer Isabel got to God, it seemed, the further Ulises was pulling away. See my blog post for further details.


Book #7: The Analects of Confucius trans. by Arthur Waley

No other book in the entire history of the world has exerted a greater influence on a larger number of people over a longer period of time than this slim volume. The spiritual cornerstone of the most populous and oldest living civilization on Earth, the "Analects" has inspired the Chinese and all the peoples of East Asia with its affirmation of a humanist ethics. As the Gospels are to Jesus, the "Analects" is the only place where we can encounter the real, living Confucius. In this gem-like translation by Simon Leys, Confucius speaks with clarity and brilliance. He emerges as a man of great passion and many enthusiasms, a man of bold action whose true vocation is politics. Confucius (551-479 B.C.) lived in an age of acute cultural and political crisis. Many of his observations mark a world sinking into violence and barbarity. Unable to obtain the leading political role he sought, he endeavored to reform society and salvage civilization through ethical debate, defining for ages to come the public mission of the intellectual. 

This was very good. Some of it is definitely irrelevant by today's standards (China no longer has a monarchy for one), but a good deal of the actual maxims can be translated to the modern era and used. Quite a few of them in fact. I loved how randomly interspersed were stories from other people and Confucius that seemed to have nothing to do with anything. They either have no point or it is so well hidden only a proper genius will understand. I am going to look for more books about Confucius, the Analects, and culture in general. Can't wait to read more! This one got a 4/5 and took me 3 days to read.