At the beginning of 2013, there was seemingly no one on the right in Brazil’s political system. No one who admitted it, anyway. The Workers’ Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores, or PT) was confidently sailing through its third presidential term, and the former guerrilla Dilma Rousseff was enjoying approval ratings only slightly lower than the record […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/10/28/bigger-than-bolsonaro-brazil-election/
Narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal, Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire is the first audio in the award-winning series October Daye. October “Toby” Daye is is forced to resume her old position as knight errant to the Duke of Shadowed Hills to uncover a mystery in this exciting urban fantasy filled with magic, fae and suspense.
Rosemary and Rue
by Seanan McGuire
Series: October Daye #1
Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowal
Length: 11 hours and 16 minutes
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 4 cups Speed: 1.3x
The world of Faerie never disappeared: it merely went into hiding, continuing to exist parallel to our own. Secrecy is the key to Faerie’s survival―but no secret can be kept forever, and when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings are born. Half-human, half-fae, outsiders from birth, these second-class children of Faerie spend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations. Or, in the case of October “Toby” Daye, rejecting it completely. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating into a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, Faerie has other ideas.
The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, one of the secret regents of the San Francisco Bay Area, pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby is forced to resume her old position as knight errant to the Duke of Shadowed Hills and begin renewing old alliances that may prove her only hope of solving the mystery…before the curse catches up with her.
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Years ago I read Rosemary and Roe and life happened, new books arrived and I never picked it back up despite having read/listened to everything by McGuire/Grant. I’ve spent the past year collecting the audible editions of the series through credits, sales, birthday gifts, etc. Now I have begun the series in earnest.
McGuire is a talented author whose worlds and characters enchant me. I loved Toby from the start as we learned of the magic in this world and the fae. The fae scare me and are not to be messed with. Give me an ogre to battle or a sorcerer to trade wit with. LOL
Toby is a changeling who is half human and half fae. She is an outcast and due to the treatment she has received from both sides; she has denied the Faerie world, and putters along in the human world. When Countess Evening Winterrose is murdered and binds Toby to find her murderer, she is pulled back into the Faerie world and resumes her former position as knight errant. The tale that unfolds was marvelous.
McGuire brings a fresh look to the world of faerie and her world building is seamlessly woven into the tale, giving listeners a look at its splendors, darkness and even horror. Listeners will quickly fear for Toby, as it is quickly apparent she will not complete her mission unscathed. I loved all the detail, from the use of magic to the blood oaths.
Fans of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files will immediately find themselves pulled into the world of October Daye. Like Harry, you will see Toby’s vulnerability, fears, desires and ability to kickass when the situation warrants. I confess I am rather excited at the prospect of listening to the fifteen audiobooks that lie ahead, not to mention the countless novellas in between. Ah, bliss.
Mary Robinette Kowal narrates and after a little adjusting with the speed, I found my sweet spot with her, and enjoyed her voice for Toby and secondary characters. She sets the tone and brings the author’s world to life.
If you haven’t yet discovered Seanan McGuire, I recommend you explore her titles and that of her pseudonym Mira Grant, where she writes science fiction and horror.
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Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire Mary Robinette Kowal on audio, narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal is urban fantasy perfection #audiobookreview
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Seanan McGuire is a native Californian, which has resulted in her being exceedingly laid-back about venomous wildlife, and terrified of weather. When not writing urban fantasy (as herself) and science fiction thrillers (as Mira Grant), she likes to watch way too many horror movies, wander around in swamps, record albums of original music, and harass her cats. Seanan is the author of the October Daye, InCryptid, and Indexing series of urban fantasies; the Newsflesh trilogy; the Parasitology duology; and the “Velveteen vs.” superhero shorts. Her cats, Lilly, Alice, and Thomas, are plotting world domination even as we speak, but are easily distracted by feathers on sticks, so mankind is probably safe. For now.
Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of The Spare Man,The Glamourist Histories series, Ghost Talkers, and the Lady Astronaut Universe. She is part of the award-winning podcast Writing Excuses and has received the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, four Hugo awards, the Nebula and Locus awards. Her stories appear in Asimov’s, Uncanny, and several Year’s Best anthologies. Mary Robinette, a professional puppeteer, also performs as a voice actor (SAG/AFTRA), recording fiction for authors including Seanan McGuire, Cory Doctorow, and John Scalzi. She lives in Nashville with her husband Rob and over a dozen manual typewriters.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/10/rosemary-and-rue-by-seanan-mcguire.html
It is incredibly difficult to go from being an only child to having a new baby sister. With a new sibling, sometimes the older one has to move into a new room; this can be an exciting and scary time, especially when there is a dark monster hiding under the bed. In Dread in the Dark by Tuula Pere, Elliot finds himself in his brand-new room, which he absolutely adores playing in while it’s daytime, but when night falls, and it’s time to head to bed, the growls coming from under his bed causes the allure of a new room to be frightened right out of him.
The author takes us on an emotional journey of going through the jealousy of having to share the limelight with a new baby in the family to growing older and having a new bedroom further away from the safety of your parents’ room. With the baby needing lots of attention and care, Elliot worries that now being so far from his parent’s room, his pleas for help at night will go ignored. When his dad comes in to put an end to the mystery of this dark monster under Elliot’s bed, Elliot expresses his fears and concerns, and his dad solves the puzzle leaving Elliot feeling heard and cared for.
It is critical for children to know their worries and fears are heeded and understood, and even more imperative when a new baby is taking away any extra attention the child would have had before the baby. I love how the author was able to display the significance of that fact by using a very relatable situation of being a small child afraid of a new room with new sensory things happening.
Dread in the Dark is a wonderful picture book that helps children identify their feelings and shows them that their feelings are valid. It also teaches children how to work through the emotions they have in a productive and safe way that will help them build social skills and self-confidence.
Pages: 34 | ISBN : 9523254464
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/28/dread-in-the-dark/
The Strength of a Thousand Sons: More Stories from My Texas Family is an inspiring and eye-opening memoir written by Melvin E. Edwards. All families have a long history, and some of them possess a past that can only be described as gruesome and heartbreaking. This is the case with the Edwards family. Born into slavery, it was hard to imagine anything good ever-growing from such a soul-draining situation. Melvin Edwards does a fantastic job of portraying the hard path that his family had to take long ago and how with each new generation, new changes started to materialize that led to the evolution of the family dynamics. Social discourse, racism, and the importance of a healthy family are brought concisely in this memoir, giving the reader a history lesson that will broaden their perspective.
From the beginning, the book captures the reader’s attention. After researching for some time, the author was able to compile a collection of stories from his African-American family that ran through multiple generations. This compelling idea made for an incredibly interesting storyline that showcased the evolution of a family as it went along with relevant social and cultural changes. We get to see how everything started: with cruelty and slavery, which directly affects the Edwards family and their interactions with one another, impacting their familial bond. At some point, one of the members realizes that something needs to change in order to nurture the life of the next generations, avoiding at all costs carrying the trauma that was part of the family history.
This is a story of hardships. Even though it’s short, the author gathers in a concise manner a series of relevant events that surround and explain his family’s evolution. Historical landmarks are brought every few chapters, such as the eradication of slavery and Black suffrage. Offering a new perspective and a clear lens through which to view the difficult past of Black Americans in the United States, this book is essential for every reader out there, regardless of age, race, gender, or nationality.
The Strength of a Thousand Sons is a stirring memoir about changing the course of a family’s negative path. The point of view of the author is very clear. He offers his family’s experiences along with some social commentary, inviting the reader to do some introspection and confront the dark past that hides behind many faces out there. Despite the many negative events, the author finds a way to add a positive perspective, hoping for a better future that can only be achieved if society as a whole learns from the mistakes of the past.
Pages: 164 | ASIN : B0B6MF51BZ
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/28/the-strength-of-a-thousand-sons/
The Big Picture is a thought-provoking picture book that asks readers to reflect on their life. The book starts with The Big Bang. Because of the way the book started, I thought this was going to be an educational book about space, but with a few questions and the turn of one page, this short book turns into a contemplative journey that will inspire self-reflection and have readers wondering if they’ve lived their best life.
Every page in this colorful book is wonderfully illustrated; well, all pages except one black page that is surprisingly potent for being blank. The journey through the birth of the universe and the beginning of humanity does a fantastic job of setting the stage for the profound questions that will follow. The author helps readers see just how small we are in the universe, but also how lucky we are to be alive.
This is a picture book, so I had assumed this was going to be a children’s book. While you could read this to children, as I think they will be able to understand what’s happening and understand the questions as well, I think this book is just as powerful and moving for adults.
The Big Picture is a profound and intellectually-invigorating book that accomplishes so much in so few pages. It’s educational with its few science facts, it’s a meditative experience with the way it draws you in and makes you focus on an idea, and it’s a bit of a self-help book as well. This book is perfect for anyone that is struggling to find satisfaction or meaning in life.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/28/the-big-picture/
Elizabeth H. Cottrell wants to bring back the art of note writing. Through her book Heartspoken: How to Write Notes that Connect, Comfort, Encourage, and Inspire, the author takes us down memory lane, discussing note writing back in the day and how it compares to modern-day forms of communication. Elizabeth Cottrell writes with a special grace that gives her words warmth and shows her compassion. Readers will know that she writes from the heart and writes to leave an impact. Reading this book will give readers a feeling of nostalgia.
The author starts the book by describing to the reader the purpose of writing the book and also giving a little history of writing. Elizabeth notes down how writing came into being, how ancient folk communicated, and why communication was critical. I found delight in learning about the papyrus paper and how ground-breaking it was back then. One of Elizabeth Cottrell’s strengths is the ability to virtually take the reader back in time. While reading about ancient forms of communication and how writing was, the reader gets into the moment and experiences the author’s text as she expresses her thoughts.
The discussion gradually moves from the ancient communication use of parchment papers by Greeks to letter writing and note writing. I enjoyed this part the most as the author included bits of her years growing up and how valuable writing and receiving letters were. I like how passionate the author is when writing about this subject. One can feel her ties to note writing and its significance. Elizabeth Cottrell writes about how exciting it was to receive a note written by family and friends and also articulates how the culture is slowly but surely fading away. Reading this book will make me miss the simplicities of life before technology. The author is clear in her message and does not condemn modern forms of communication; rather, she compares and writes enthusiastically about note writing as a superpower even in Today’s world.
Elizabeth Cottrell shares some intimate moments in her life. The author writes about how notes make her feel and perfectly puts in words the authenticity message in notes feel, compared to those sent via electronic media. There is nothing wrong with sending messages via email or text messages. The major lesson drawn from this book is that as we embrace tech trends, we should not toss aside the beauty that comes with note writing. The author shares how you can fervently write notes and how the habit will help you cultivate new relationships and get you to bond and connect more with people close to you.
Heartspoken: How to Write Notes that Connect, Comfort, Encourage, and Inspire is an easy read which brings about lots of memories and also has lifelong lessons. Apart from learning about the weight of note writing, Elizabeth Cottrell also shares how you can use the art of note writing in your professional life. The author shares tips on how to improve your writing skills and how you can find your own voice through words. These guidelines are useful in your personal life and can help you run your business.
Pages: 218 | ASIN : B0B57PQ25Z
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/28/heartspoken/
Beware of Companies is the story of how one man contributed a number of visionary ideas that the casino he worked for used to grow its business
and add comforts to its customers. This should be a story about great success for the writer and his employer, but unfortunately it is not. This memoir is also the chronicle of how the author’s ideas were stolen, under the guise of an “employee suggestion program,” then he was marginalized, his sanity questioned, and then ultimately pushed aside. It revolves around a series of dark chapters from 1996 to 2004 that would change the author’s life, but also teach valuable lessons about the nature of casinos and the truth about what can go wrong between the powerful and the powerless. This is one man’s story, but it could happen to anybody.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/28/beware-of-companies-that-rip-off-their-employees-book-trailer/