Kindred by Octavia Butler

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From Goodreads.com:

The first science-fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of African-American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity.

Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life.

During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she's been given: to protect this young slaveholder until he can father her own great-grandmother.

My thoughts:

I thoroughly loved listening to Kindred. It was a short and smart but also brutal story. I don't know how Butler managed to pull it all together like she did but it was brilliant. How does one deal with the past and how it connects to your future? She offers up a wide range of feelings from horror to empathy.

I look forward to reading more of her sci-fi works.

Cat Thursday May 4, 2017

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s)

Spring is almost here! It's been here for a bit but it is finally starting to feel like summer is getting a bit closer. We had snow last week and it still gets pretty chilly at night but the weather should climb up to the high 70s this weekend! The trees just turned from their blossoms to green or red leaves. Flowers, flowers everywhere and birds! My kitties love all the birds. Thus my theme this week!

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Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods by Tania del Toro

Quirk Books

Warren the 13th is back for his second adventure with his walking hotel and all of his friends. Things start off going pretty well but this does not last long when his uncle accidentally drops his drink on the hotel's controls. Warren must find parts for the repairs and hope he can get his hotel back up and running and get his guests back.

A mimic soon kidnaps Warren and takes his tooth so he can take Warren's place and take the hotel and the perfurmier Beatrice to the Black Caldera in the Whispering Woods to the evil witch.

Can Warren get back to his hotel and save his friends? Lots of fun puzzles and adventures await Warren. My son and I had a lot of fun reading this one together. My son couldn't wait to read this every night.

*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Spring Break April 2017

April was tough. Lots of sickness floated our way and I think it's because of the changing weather. Utah has had lots of rain, snow, wind, and sleet this last month. We did get to do Spring Break with G out of school that week. And we headed down to Moab, Canyonlands, and Escalante in southern Utah to get some awesome hikes in and see our beautiful Earth.

We live in a gorgeous state with so much beauty and nature around. I loved Canyonlands. Gorgeous layers and colors. G enjoyed the Moab Giants outdoor dinosaur museum. DH and I loved the hikes despite the exhaustion. The petrified forest was also an amazing hike.

Books Finished: March: Book One by John Lewis, Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods by Tania Del Rio, Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh, and Kindred by Octavia Butler.

Currently Reading: Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid They'd Ask): The Secrets to Surviving Your Child's Sexual Development from Birth to the Teens by Justin Richardson and Mark A. Schuster, The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman, and Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter.

Listening To: Podcasts. "You Must Remember This" by Karina Longworth is so amazing. I just listened to her 6-part series on Joan Crawford. It's a must if you love old Hollywood and history or if you just love a good story.

Watching: I am loving Dear White People, the new series on Netflix. Funny and insightful. Also Netflix put out a new Mystery Science Theater 3000. So funny. I also saw HBO's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and found it OK but not nearly as interesting or compelling as the book, unfortunately.

Looking Forward To: I'll tell you what I'm not looking forward to. DH is headed out of country for the month of May and it'll be tough not having him here. But I've got book club Friday and I have scary movie nights every Tuesday.

Making: I'm really going to try a lot harder this week to cook more at home. Stir fry and kabobs are on the menu along with some beef stew since it's been pretty chilly around here.

My Week in Pictures: Here are some pictures from our fun spring break vacation!

Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon Wrapup

I had to change my book from NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (682 pages was way too ambitious to finish in two weeks!) to The Delphi Room by Melia McClure.

It was a fast and creepy ride. After Velvet dies by suicide she wakes up in a room where where she has childhood sheets on her bed and a large mirror. Sometimes she sees the Shadow Man who has haunted her since she was a little girl. But then she hears someone next door Brinkley. They share letters through the grate between their rooms and in their mirrors they see mini movies of each other's lives when they were alive. They must discover what it all means.

A fun and enjoyable story. I recommend it to all.