The Greek word chrôma, which often means “color” and gives us various English words in that semantic field, primarily means “skin”—perhaps because the skin, with its changing tones, was the foremost experience ancient peoples had of color at the time that language was forming. One Greek author, Xenophon, uses the word to refer to facial […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/10/20/pure-color/
Travel by Bullet by John Scalzi is the third audiobook in the Dispatcher series. I enjoy these action-packed, suspenseful stories involving dispatcher, Tony Valdez. Dispatchers kill those near death, giving them a second chance… but when Tony is asked to dispatch a fellow Dispatcher, he finds himself in the middle of a corrupt game.
Travel by Bullet
by John Scalzi
Series: The Dispatcher #3
Narrator: Zachary Quinto
Length: 3 hours and 43 minutes
Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller
Source: Audible Plus
Purchase*: Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.3x
The Audible and New York Times best-selling “Dispatcher” series returns with a brand-new mystery, performed by Zachary Quinto.
The world has changed. Now, when someone is murdered, they almost always come back to life—and there are professionals, called “dispatchers,” who kill in order to save lives, to give those near the end a second chance. Tony Valdez is a dispatcher, and he has never been busier.
But for as much as the world has changed, some things have stayed the same. Greed, corruption and avarice are still in full swing. When Tony is called to a Chicago emergency room by an old friend and fellow dispatcher, he is suddenly and unwillingly thrown into a whirlpool of schemes and plots involving billions of dollars, with vast caches of wealth ranging from real estate to cryptocurrency up for grabs.
All Tony wants to do is keep his friend safe. But it’s hard to do when friends keep secrets, enemies offer seductive deals, and nothing is ever what it seems. The world has changed… but the stakes are still life and death.
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Scalzi writes engaging tales with characters who grab me and hold me to the end. I ended up listening to this in a single evening. While not completely necessary to have listened to the previous Dispatcher stories, I think you’d appreciate aspects of the story more and frankly, Scalzi writes good stuff.
Tony and the other Dispatchers are contracting mostly with the hospitals since the Covid outbreak began. In this world, those at death’s door are giving a second chance. The Dispatcher kills them and restores them. They arrive in a place they feel safe. Usually their home. When a fellow dispatcher throws himself from a moving car, he asks to see Tony. He is then dispatched by the Dispatcher on duty. Only he doesn’t arrive at home.
This was a fast-paced tale that saw interaction with previous characters as greed in the tech industry has people using dispatchers to their advantage. Poor Tony finds himself pulled in and questioned from all sides. I truly like Tony and find him to be clever.
This is a brilliant series set in Chicago, and the author weaves in current headlines & topics, giving the story a ground feel despite the unique concept of dispatching.
Zachary Quinto continues to narrate the voice of Tony and secondary characters. He enhances the tale using tone and pacing to keep me fully engaged. At just under four hours, these stories are superb for road trips and commutes.
I hope we see more Dispatcher stories. Fans of science fiction thrillers and mysteries will want to add these to their audio collection.
Audible
Travel by Bullet by John Scalzi delivered another thrilling mystery in the Dispatcher series. #audiobook #ScienceFiction #Thriller #Mystery
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John Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent. Author of the Human Division series and Old Man’s War series. Creative Consultant for the Stargate: Universe television series. Writer for the video game Midnight Star, by Industrial Toys. Former president (7/10 – 6/13) of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Executive Producer and Consultant for the upcoming television series based on my book Redshirts, as well as for the upcoming television series based on my Old Man’s War book series
Zachary John Quinto is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his roles as Sylar, the primary antagonist from the science fiction drama series Heroes,Spock in the film Star Trek and its sequels Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond. He also played Charlie Manx in the AMC series NOS4A2, and Dr. Oliver Thredson in American Horror Story: Asylum, for which he received a nomination for an Emmy award.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/10/travel-by-bullet-by-john-scalzi.html
Twenty years in the future, a Russian man named Timofey Semenov develops a solar shield to help lower the temperatures on Earth, intended to help with climate change. His structure is named ZONT-1, but before it could impact global temperatures, it is heavily damaged by a massive solar flare. But Timofey doesn’t give up. He forms alliances with men he’d rather ignore to bring his ZONT-2 project to life.
ZONT-2 and Beyond by Blair Wylie shows that despite someone’s best intentions, not everything goes the way you want. Hounded by terrorists, unrest, and global politics, Timofey, with his business partner and personal enemy, Alain Dufort, must work together to get the ZONT-2 project off the ground. They navigate personal problems, international alliances, enemies, and the occasional bombing to bring their vision to life. ZONT-2 and Beyond contains a large cast of characters in various political and influential positions; some are not who they seem.
This novel is not for the faint of heart. It’s an abundantly complex book filled with technical details about space structures, scientific farming strategies, and geopolitics. Perhaps because of the author’s background in engineering, the book reads as almost a manual rather than a fictional story. Much of the story is summarized rather than shown as action, and there is a lot of scientific and engineering dialogue. There are also many characters to keep track of, as almost every chapter introduces someone new.
While the subject matter is very interesting, I believe the story’s execution could have been improved. I commend Wylie for his ingenuity in putting together the various threads of the story, weaving in and out of politics and business arrangements, and the ability to immerse the reader into the story.
ZONT-2 and Beyond is a hard science fiction novel that will appeal to readers that love to know how things work and want to read the science behind the story. With a plot that is not implausible, this is a fantastic read for those who enjoy sci-fi’s technical aspects.
Pages: 208 | ISBN: 978-1-80016-536-6
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/20/zont-2-and-beyond/
It’s a few days to Christmas, and Janelle Young finds herself uncharacteristically visiting her grandmother. With a job offer to move to California and an ultimatum from her boyfriend hanging over her head, Janelle seeks advice from Gram on her choices. Their conversations and reminiscing about Christmas lead to Gram narrating her story as a teenager, including how she met her husband in 1938. In 1938, toward the end of the Great Depression, Peggy Norwood is a brilliant chorister who dreams of taking center stage. When her mother’s illness worsens, Peggy has to choose between fulfilling her dreams and her dying mother’s wishes.
The Christmas Keepsake by Pat Wahler is a simple story of love, family, dreams, and choices. Although short, it is a holiday-themed story enjoyable for all ages. The author uses a simple style and symbolism in telling the tale of two generations and alternating between two timelines. The author explores the themes of faith, spirituality, and the magic of Christmas with mementos like the Christmas Ornament. The book also features a heartwarming love story and evokes deep feelings of nostalgia, especially during the Christmas season. It is exciting how a marriage of convenience morphed into a meeting of soulmates.
In the end, it is clear that Janelle has made her choice after spending a day listening to her Gram. And although they walk different paths, Gram’s story has many lessons to be learned. The Christmas Keepsake by Pat Wahler is a reminder to follow one’s heart and be courageous in doing so. The characters also stress the importance of domestic family and the aftermaths of grief.
The Christmas Keepsake is a beautiful holiday short story. It gives readers that warm feeling of the season and emphasizes the importance of family and connections. This is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter day as you wait for the magic of Christmas.
Pages: 73 | ASIN : B0BFJKCPC1
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/20/the-christmas-keepsake/
Eleven-year-old Dee Lanson has just begun her last year of elementary school. Greeting the new year, Dee looks forward to spending time with her friends and friendly sports competitions between the boys and girls of the fifth grade. But when new girl Samantha seems to be spending more time with Dee’s closest friends, Sue and Ronnie, than she is, Dee begins to feel the deadly stirrings of jealousy deep within her heart. Finding the perfect opportunity to vent her frustrations, Dee takes it upon herself to teach Samantha a lesson she’ll never forget. But when events spiral out of control, Dee finds that there is much more to her rival than she ever thought possible. With the guidance of teacher Ms. Hersh, school counselor Mr. Kent, and Dee’s parents, Dee and Samantha both learn more about each other and themselves as they work towards a solution to solve a problem that can only be described as “gloppy.”
A wonderful slice-of-life story that covers the last year of elementary school, Dee’s coming-of-age adventure is a lighthearted tale that explores the host of new emotions that come with being eleven. Although Dee and Samantha are the indisputable stars of the show, there is also a rich supporting cast of fellow students and teachers. I liked the vibrant personalities of the students, ranging from stalwart Sue to practical joker Pete. I also liked the interactions between Dee’s parents and the fact that there was more to Ms. Hersh than met the eye. Dee is easy to identify with, as she struggles to understand the complex emotions roiling within her. The only detraction I really had was that I wish Dee was a little nicer to her kid brother, but arguments between siblings are normal, and their parents were good mediators.
A tale of friendship and solving problems brought on by overwrought emotions, Gloppy by Janice Laakko is a lighthearted journey through the fifth grade. Gloppy has a joyful tone, excellent storytelling, and a satisfying conclusion, and it’s the perfect choice for readers eight and above who love a solid school-year adventure full of discovery, mischief, and fun.
Pages: 129 | ASIN : B09BW479M9
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/20/gloppy/
The Bush Clinic is an imaginative and deeply thoughtful space opera that surprised me with its depth. While this is a science fiction novel, it only serves to create a fantastic background to contemporary issues people face in third-world countries today and provides a creative twist to distill modern issues down into a poignant narrative. In this book, we follow a doctor on Dolvia, who is forced to leave her clinic and support a hospital where she witnesses an epidemic and sees how resourceful tribal women have to get to save their kids and survive a conflict where corporate greed fuels the engine of war. Among the tribe is a girl whose storyline shows readers the abuse natives face at the hands of their colonizers and shows the strength of sisterhood in the face of adversity.
Author Stella Atrium channels the best of Frank Herbert’s Dune in the way it utilizes epic fantasy to tell a tale of oppression and colonization. What I like most about this novel, though, is the stark reality of the characters’ lives. While this is a science fiction novel, it still feels grounded and authentic, giving the novel a gritty feel that makes the emotion that colors this story feel raw and biting. The author sets up this emotional battery so well that it feels much more potent when hope and light shine through the darkness. Because of this, I found The Bush Clinic to be a moving and impassioned story; possibly because I was able to relate to the characters.
Readers will also find a vibrant and well-defined backdrop to this story beyond the insightful commentary on society. With plenty of time spent throughout the novel creating a world that feels lived-in and exotic, readers will enjoy the variety of cultures, species, and ideologies throughout this book. This lends to the epic feel of this fantasy story and made me feel like we are only scratching the surface of a backstory that feels deep (good thing this is only book one in The Tribal Wars series).
With strong female protagonists and inspired themes of solidarity, unity, and sorority among women, this science fiction book will appeal to readers looking for a meaningful story that is contemplative and intellectually invigorating. The Bush Clinic is an entertaining and inspiring sci-fi novel that will appeal to readers looking for a book with a relevant and thrilling storyline.
Pages: 496 | ASIN: B0B9VH51CW
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/20/the-bush-clinic/
It’s the 1950s in Romania, after the fall of the Romanian monarch, a time of terror for its citizens. Stalin’s communist regime influenced the creation of the Securitate, a police agency used as an instrument of manipulation and control over the country and its economics, education, and even its very culture.
Young Virginia is a university student whose life of tragedy–including her father’s death and her brother succumbing to polio prevaccine days–has given her a strength beyond her years. For the first time since their deaths, she had started feeling a sense of fulfillment and inner peace much due to her chance meeting of Jenica, a young “bright and full of energy and passion” who has captivated her heart. But now, Jenica has vanished, and Virginia has enlisted their friends to gather information taking serious risks in doing so, causing them to jeopardize their safety with the Securitate and others through exposure and asking questions. When there is a report of a homicide, Virginia fears the worst, but attempts at surreptitiously getting identification or a police report are met with suspicious dead ends. It’s too dangerous to get the officials involved, and it’s difficult to know whom to trust–identifying who are members of the communist party or who would be sympathetic to her efforts. She is desperate to find out where Jenica is or what happened to him. And they will do whatever it takes to find out. An unexpected phone call reveals information that once again turns Virginia’s world upside down. But will it help her find Jenica?
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/20/the-house-of-spark-book-trailer/