The Sixth Man by Andre Iguodala and Carvell Wallace - Book Report #291

I am a casual fan of NBA basketball and I’ll admit that I was getting tired of the Golden State Warriors dominating the league for the past five years.

That team was stacked!

Through all the excitement around Kevin Durant and Steph Curry it was always Andre Iguodala that captured my attention.  There was something about his face...

I don’t read a lot of sports-related books but I found this one fascinating.  I enjoyed learning about Iguodala’s childhood and I was relieved that he had a strong family around him.

Learning about the undercurrent of racism that runs through American culture (and probably all cultures) I found depressing because it confirmed that we humans have not grown nearly enough.

The enormous pressure to perform and what that does to the human body was frightening.

What really upset me most was the treatment players experience from fans and the media.  How ugly people could be is sickening.

Does that sound like I did not enjoy the book?  Far from it.  Through it all, Iguodala’s strength and optimism carried him through his career and this book.

It was a fascinating look inside a game that most of us only encounter through a television screen.  Iguodala simply parted the curtain and showed the reader what the life of an athlete is like.

I was happy to learn that my impression of the man was correct.  He has integrity and cares deeply for the sport he loves.

Highly recommended.  This book is worth buying and lending to friends.

Andre Iguodala’s Wikipedia page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_Iguodala

Andre Iguodala

A Forest, or a Tree by Tegan Moore - A Short Story Review

Four city women go on an overnight hiking trip into the woods.  Most are ill-equipped for the task.

Once the discomforts of camping set in, real stresses between the hikers manifest.  Spooky stories around the campfire set things in motion. 

I thought the story was very well written and the characters believable and understandable.  The deep-dark woods, bad weather and a feeling of danger made for a creepy experience. 

But, truth be told, I wasn’t happy with the ending. It felt forced and did not fit with how the story was told.  I did like the open ending.  Perhaps there is a sequel in the works?  I’d gladly go back to this world

Tegan Moore’s website - https://alarmhat.com/

Tegan Moore

The New Prometheus by Michael Swanwick - A Short Story Review

Another instalment in Swanwick’s Mongolian Wizard series.

This time, we find Ritter and his wolf Freki in the Arctic chasing a new villain.

But this is no ordinary brute; he is a sympathetic, misunderstood person trying to find his place in the world.

Ritter’s assignment is clear but what will he do when he confronts his quarry?

Yup, I like this series quite a lot.

Michael Swanwick Wikipedia page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Swanwick

The whole series can be found here - https://www.tor.com/series/mongolian-wizard-stories-michael-swanwick/

Michael Swanwick

Skinner Box by Carole Johnstone - A Short Story Review

What is the nature of reality?  Who is in control of that reality?  What happens when the truth is revealed?

This story was a fantastic mind-bender.  On board a probe three individuals are running experiments but there are some dark secrets that might bring on violent responses.

The author references the ship Nostromo, from the movie Alien to instantly create the underlying menace that hangs over everything.

A Skinner Box is explained in the story and it’s then I pulled back my point of view and felt real dread for Evie, the protagonist in this story.

It is an excellent story that left me chilled for the rest of the day.

Carole Johnstone’s blog - http://carolejohnstone.blogspot.com/

Carole Johnstone

Any Way the Wind Blows by Seanan McGuire - A Short Story Review

I rather enjoy stories that break the fourth wall or are meta in nature.

This one is an homage to Tor’s office in the iconic Flatiron building in New York City.  The artwork for the story was excellent, with Stubby, the official logo of tor.com, hovering beside the building.

It reminded me of one of my favourite episodes of Deep Space 9, Far Beyond the Stars (S6-E13), where Sisko has visions of being a pulp science fiction author.

This story has the crew of Stubby, cartographers of the multiverse, and their experience when they arrive in our reality.


It was clever and fun - a delight to read.

Seanan McGire’s website - http://www.seananmcguire.com/

Seanan McGuire

Murder in the Spook House by Michael Swanwick - A Short Story Review

God bless Tor.com and their quarterly “best-of” ebook giveaway.

In this summer edition the opening story by Swanwick was a delight. Set in England around World War I in a reality that knows wizards, werewolves, time travel and military intelligence; on a dark and stormy night there is a murder. 

Acting Director of British Intelligence Ritter is summoned in the middle of the night to investigate the murder of Sir Toby.

This is one of the latest instalments of his Mongolian Wizard series. If you like this one there are many more to be had. 

I rather liked this one even though I am not a big fan of magical stories because it barely relied on mystical tropes. 

A good opening story to this collection. 

The Summer 2019 Fiction Collection can be downloaded HERE.

Michael Swanwick

Deriving Life by Elizabeth Bear - A Short Story Review

This is another story of loss and mourning in the Tor.com January - February 2019 collection.  But this time it tackles the horrible experience of watching your loved one die.

The narrator here is not the easiest person to like but that's also what makes the story compelling.

There is a science-fictiony element to the story, where beings can occupy a dying person's body to give them a pain-free end of life.  People are not cured but the journey is not as terrible as it could be.  However, I found this aspect of the story to be unnecessary.

I've certainly seen the author's name around for years and I've always had her on my TBR list.  This is the first story of hers that I've read and I must say that I've been missing out.  If this is the kind of work she produces then I am already a fan.

There is a quiet confidence in the storytelling that I found compelling.

To be honest, I put the story down a few times just so I could come back to it later.  It was an uncomfortable thing to read but I was taken by how I was able to connect with it.

Well done indeed.

Elizabeth's website - https://www.elizabethbear.com/

Elizabeth Bear

Beyond the El by John Chu - A Short Story Review

I cannot remember how I came across this little collection of stories from Tor.com but there it was waiting for me in my Kobo app.  The ebook contains six stories.  This was the first.

It was a sad story about a waiter coping with the loss of his mother and how he tries to recreate her dumplings.

There is much more going on here than just that.  As he comes to terms with the loss of his mother he has to contend with his cunning and self-involved big sister who takes advantage of him at every opportunity.

The other employees of the restaurant see that he is suffering and offer help which is always politely refused.  But there is one person whom the main character has a connection.

This was a charming story.

John Chu's website - http://www.johnchu.net/

The link to this story - https://www.tor.com/2019/01/16/beyond-the-el-john-chu/

The Latte Factor by David Bach and John David Mann - Book Report #276

I am Canadian so I recognized this book for what it is - an American version of The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton who wrote his book in 1989.

It is a narrative about a 27 year old woman working in a high-pressure job at a travel magazine in New York.  She is loaded with debt and is living paycheque to paycheque.  Her boss sends her to speak to Henry the owner of a coffee shop for advice.

Even though I am 54 I still found the message compelling.  Although I won’t have the benefit of decades to grow my money I can still create a much-needed financial cushion from the lessons within the book.

I enjoyed the structure of the book, it felt much more natural than The 5AM Club.  Best of all, the book is less than 150 pages, making for an easy read.

I will say here that I loved the length of the book, it had the effect of distilling the message and focusing the advice.  I like how a limited space removes the need to “fill” the book.


Recommended.

David Bach's website - https://davidbach.com/

David Bach

Charlie 316 by Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro - Book Report #271

This story crackled from the page.  (I've always wanted to write that.)

I love a good police procedural because I like to see the behind-the-scenes work and influences at play.

Tyler Garrett is an exemplary cop and is often tapped to make public appearances to promote the Spokane Police Department.

One day, while making a routine traffic stop, he is ambushed and shots are exchanged.  By the end of the shoot-out, the man who was pulled over is dead, having been shot in the back by officer Garrett.

What transpires next involves politics, dirty cops, crazy theories and some damn cold decisions.

All of this felt very real and there were many moments where my heart beat just a bit harder.



One of my favourite passages described a bar where the powerful and connected go to have a drink;

Business and politics were discussed at every table.  If those subjects weren't to your liking, you could always move down the street to one of the cheap joints where depression and failure were served on tap.

Zafiro and Conway wrote a crystal-clear story and I found myself thinking how it reminded me of Robert B Parker's Spenser novels.  It was all about asking endless questions and tugging on threads.  You never know which detail will bring the whole mystery apart.

The twist of the story came as a complete surprise to me and I had to put the book down to catch my breath.  After that, the whole story took on a menace and I found myself physically leaning into the book while I read, my nose almost touched the screen.

This was a terrific read.

Highly recommended.

Frank Zafiro's website - http://www.frankzafiro.com/

Colin Conway's website - https://colinconway.com/

Frank Zafiro

Colin Conway