Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
This was the first Anne McCaffrey book that I read as a teenager back in the early 90's. I think back then the Harper Hall trilogy was considered YA which is probably how I stumbled on them. I immediately fell in love with Pern, dragons, and Menolly. I immediately started reading all the Anne McCaffrey I could get my hands on and read all her books up until her death. I never got into other sci/fi/fantasy books but always loved McCaffrey. This year I decided to re-read the Harper Hall trilogy over the summer and thankfully I still enjoyed it just as much as an adult. McCaffrey is such a great writer and her descriptions make you feel like you are right there on Pern too.
In Dragonsong we're introduced to fifteen-year-old Menolly. She is the youngest daughter of the Sea Holder of Half-Circle Sea Hold. Menolly is musically gifted but her father doesn't believe women should be Harpers. The old Harper, Petiron, at Half-Circle recognizes Menolly's talent and allows her more leeway, even sending off two of her original songs to the Masterharper. But when Petiron dies, Menolly's father forbids her from creating any original music. Not long after that Menolly discovers a group of fire lizards when out foraging. Realizing she doesn't have a good future in Half-Circle, Menolly decides to go back to where she found the fire lizards and accidentally Impresses 9 of them. She then decides to stay in the cave where she found them and live on her own. One day while out foraging further from her cave she is unexpectedly caught in Threadfall. A passing dragon spots her and she is taken to Brenden Weyr where her talents with both music and fire lizards are immediately recognized. Menolly now has the chance to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a Harper.
In Dragonsong we're introduced to fifteen-year-old Menolly. She is the youngest daughter of the Sea Holder of Half-Circle Sea Hold. Menolly is musically gifted but her father doesn't believe women should be Harpers. The old Harper, Petiron, at Half-Circle recognizes Menolly's talent and allows her more leeway, even sending off two of her original songs to the Masterharper. But when Petiron dies, Menolly's father forbids her from creating any original music. Not long after that Menolly discovers a group of fire lizards when out foraging. Realizing she doesn't have a good future in Half-Circle, Menolly decides to go back to where she found the fire lizards and accidentally Impresses 9 of them. She then decides to stay in the cave where she found them and live on her own. One day while out foraging further from her cave she is unexpectedly caught in Threadfall. A passing dragon spots her and she is taken to Brenden Weyr where her talents with both music and fire lizards are immediately recognized. Menolly now has the chance to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a Harper.
Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey
Dragonsinger picks up where Dragonsong ends with Menolly now at Harper Hall learning to be a harper and being celebrated for her musical abilities and her nine fire dragons. While Menolly was beyond excited to be a part of Harper Hall, she's more than out of her element and not everyone is happy she is there. She gets pushback from some of the other Masters who aren't keen on a woman harper. She also makes some social gaffes that cause some of the other female students to dislike her. After growing up with a father who beat her for making music, it takes her awhile to figure out just how talented she really is and how much Masterharper Robinton sees in her. She's also equally sought out to help other, newer fire lizard owners as she successfully Impressed nine. Despite a somewhat rough start, by the end of Dragonsinger Menolly is coming into her own at Harper Hall.
This one had a much more YA feel to it than Dragonsong. Maybe it's the school-type setting or the jealous/gossipy girls but this one felt a little more geared towards teens. It also strangely reminded me of Harry Potter, although this obviously was published WAY earlier. I think it was the super special/highly talented kid who doesn't realize their own talent (or backstory in the case of Harry) and almost immediately makes both good friends and enemies - plus the school-type setting. I really didn't remember much, if any, of the details from this book, but I did enjoy reading it and I liked seeing Menolly start to recognize her own talent and skills.
This one had a much more YA feel to it than Dragonsong. Maybe it's the school-type setting or the jealous/gossipy girls but this one felt a little more geared towards teens. It also strangely reminded me of Harry Potter, although this obviously was published WAY earlier. I think it was the super special/highly talented kid who doesn't realize their own talent (or backstory in the case of Harry) and almost immediately makes both good friends and enemies - plus the school-type setting. I really didn't remember much, if any, of the details from this book, but I did enjoy reading it and I liked seeing Menolly start to recognize her own talent and skills.
Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey
Dragondrums is the final book in the Harper Hall trilogy and focuses on Piemur. The book starts with Piemur's voice starting to change so he is moved from focusing on singing to learning to be a drum messenger. But he gets off to a very rocky start with his fellow drum apprentices and his Master. While working on a secret mission of Masterharper Robinton, Piemur steals a fire lizard egg and finds himself unexpectedly in the Southern Continent where many rogue Pern inhabitants end up. There is a more political tone to this book in the series and without remembering all the details of the Pern books I read decades ago, it was kind of hard to piece everything together that was going on. Apparently I remembered nothing from reading this book back in the 90's so it was like a new book for me. I didn't like this one nearly as much as Menolly's start in Dragonsong and while Piemur is a likable character, I didn't like that he stole a fire lizard egg and was basically rewarding for doing wrong because the person he stole from was worse. Learning more about the Southern Continent of Pern was interesting but overall I liked this one the least of the trilogy. I did enjoy re-reading the trilogy and maybe I'll re-read some more McCaffrey Pern books in the future.
Vacation Books 2024
This was my vacation book stack that I took to the Outer Banks of NC this year. I read 3 and started a 4th while we were at the beach and finished 5 of the 6 by the end of July.
Field Notes for the Wilderness: practices for an evolving faith by Sarah Bessey
Growing up in church and then finding yourself in the wilderness can be disconcerting. I've struggled with church a LOT and feel like I've been in the wilderness for awhile with no end in sight. I'd read two of Bessey's previous books (Jesus Feminist and Out of Sorts) and liked them. I was excited to check this one out since I felt like I could use some Field Notes for the Wilderness. While I did like it and Bessey is a good writer, I didn't love it. I already knew that I don't agree with all of her theological views (and I don't have to in order to appreciate her or the book). I feel like she does give some good advice but I was left feeling like there have to be more options for the middle and not going to one extreme or another. Overall, I didn't love it but I did enjoy her writing, humor and compassion around a hard issue.
Some quotes I liked:
"In the New Testament, Paul tells us what the fruits of the Spirit are, and it's not too complicated really: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control...I'm not interested in being discipled in outrage. We don't need more selfish and impatient role models. This world isn't crying out for more division and brokenness. Nope, we're good, thanks." (p. 145-46)
"Sometimes it reminds me of the days back when Brian and I were in a Texas megachurch and it would come up in conversation that I was a feminist. People would sort of cock their heads and this confused expression would appear on their faces because, well, they had a picture in their minds of what a scary feminist would look like in real life - thanks to stereotypes and fear-mongering media or Christian leaders. And I? Well, I didn't seem to fit the bill." (p. 160)
"Look at the miraculous feedings of four thousand and five thousand in the book of Mark. Both times, Jesus asks the disciples what they have - it is, of course, never enough. And each time Jesus blesses what they have, breaks it, and then gives it back to them. They are invited to participate in the feeding. The miracle isn't only in the multiplying; the miracle unfolds in the invitation to participate." (p. 185)
Some quotes I liked:
"In the New Testament, Paul tells us what the fruits of the Spirit are, and it's not too complicated really: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control...I'm not interested in being discipled in outrage. We don't need more selfish and impatient role models. This world isn't crying out for more division and brokenness. Nope, we're good, thanks." (p. 145-46)
"Sometimes it reminds me of the days back when Brian and I were in a Texas megachurch and it would come up in conversation that I was a feminist. People would sort of cock their heads and this confused expression would appear on their faces because, well, they had a picture in their minds of what a scary feminist would look like in real life - thanks to stereotypes and fear-mongering media or Christian leaders. And I? Well, I didn't seem to fit the bill." (p. 160)
"Look at the miraculous feedings of four thousand and five thousand in the book of Mark. Both times, Jesus asks the disciples what they have - it is, of course, never enough. And each time Jesus blesses what they have, breaks it, and then gives it back to them. They are invited to participate in the feeding. The miracle isn't only in the multiplying; the miracle unfolds in the invitation to participate." (p. 185)
My Life With Sea Turtles by Christine Figgener
Christine Figgener was always interested in the ocean and wanted to be a scientist and work with animals. She grew up in an industrial town in Germany but worked her way into an internship with a dolphinarium and then went to college to study biology. While working on her Master's degree she ended up working in Costa Rica where she still lives today working with sea turtle conservation. The work of a field scientist is HARD - dirty, hot, odd hours, low pay, etc. But Figgener feels it's all worth it to get to help these amazing creatures. The book is pretty scientific but she intersperses scientific information about sea turtles with her personal stories of working with these animals. I was amazed at the level of dedication and work she and her team does to both study sea turtles and keep them from extinction. I've been lucky enough to see some green sea turtles in person when snorkeling in Hawaii and it was amazing. You'll learn a LOT about sea turtles and the amazing work Figgener and her organization are doing to keep them around.
Some quotes I liked:
"Leatherbacks are among the few animals that help keep jellyfish populations in check. The latter are multiplying exponentially as our oceans are increasingly being polluted by excess use of fertilizers in agriculture, and jellyfish have become a real nuisance in tourist areas and for fisheries. The dietary preferences of leatherbacks are a natural way to control them." (p. 82-83)
"Green turtles with their vegetarian diet play an important role in maintaining seagrass meadows. They are highly selective grazers, and as they feed, they create natural disturbances just as storm waves do. These disturbances ensure continuous regrowth of the seagrass while preventing some of the faster-growing species from taking over. The biochemical composition of younger leaves of seagrass make them easier to digest...Through selective grazing, green turtles ensure seagrass meadows are full of young leaves that are investing more of their available energy in nitrogen and carbohydrates and less in structural material. This benefits not only the green turtles but also a host of other marine herbivores, large and small." (p. 87) [This is very similar to rotational grazing with cattle that is done in regenerative farming and creates more grass and more nutritional grass for the cattle or herbivores grazing]
Some quotes I liked:
"Leatherbacks are among the few animals that help keep jellyfish populations in check. The latter are multiplying exponentially as our oceans are increasingly being polluted by excess use of fertilizers in agriculture, and jellyfish have become a real nuisance in tourist areas and for fisheries. The dietary preferences of leatherbacks are a natural way to control them." (p. 82-83)
"Green turtles with their vegetarian diet play an important role in maintaining seagrass meadows. They are highly selective grazers, and as they feed, they create natural disturbances just as storm waves do. These disturbances ensure continuous regrowth of the seagrass while preventing some of the faster-growing species from taking over. The biochemical composition of younger leaves of seagrass make them easier to digest...Through selective grazing, green turtles ensure seagrass meadows are full of young leaves that are investing more of their available energy in nitrogen and carbohydrates and less in structural material. This benefits not only the green turtles but also a host of other marine herbivores, large and small." (p. 87) [This is very similar to rotational grazing with cattle that is done in regenerative farming and creates more grass and more nutritional grass for the cattle or herbivores grazing]
So Late in the Day: stories of women and men by Claire Keegan
I read and LOVED Keegan's previous novellas Small Things Like These and Foster. I was excited to check out this short, short-story collection. As the subtitle tells you the stories are all about women and men and in my opinion each story gets darker. The final story, Antarctica, is SUPER dark and I was honestly glad I wasn't alone when I read it! Keegan's writing is spot on and as always she is able to convey so much with so few words. I didn't like this one as much as her previous novellas, primarily because the last story was SO dark, but I love her as a writer and will keep reading whatever she puts out next.
If You Can't Take the Heat: tales of food, feminism, and fury by Geraldine DeRuiter
This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting but I did enjoy it. When Mario Batali was ousted from his restaurant due to sexual misconduct allegations his apology letter included a recipe for cinnamon rolls. Geraldine DeRuiter decided to make the rolls and wrote a scathing essay about misogyny in the food world. This book includes that essay (which DeRuiter won a James Beard award for) and several other food-related essays that are more about DeRuiter's personal history than professional cooking (which was more what I expected based on the book description). DeRuiter is a good writer and is funny is a sarcastic and self-deprecating way and for the most part I enjoyed the book. I thought it would be more about "food, feminism, and fury" in the professional cooking world, so I was a little disappointed that it was more about her crazy Italian-American family and other food-related personal stories. Still worth reading and if she creates a product line with "food, feminism, and fury" emblazoned I will be the first in line to buy!
Some quotes I liked:
"The best rebellion I could ever come up with [against diet culture for women] was endeavoring to love myself and hurling every piece of dietary advice out the window with the zeal of someone tossing out a cheating lover's belongings." (p. 15)
"...(pockets on women's clothing, on the rare occasion they are present at all, are just deep enough to carry exactly three baby teeth)." (p. 124)
"The maitre d', seeing our confusion, walks over. 'The women's menus don't have prices,' he explains. 'Because women don't want to think about money.' We all look meaningfully at one another for a few moments, before Nicole and Oli and Rand and I wordlessly trade menus. As I peruse the numbers next to the dishes, the world slowly falls into place again. 'This is so unsettling,' Rand says, staring at the price-less menu. I pat his knee sympathetically. 'Try not thinking about money,' I say." (p. 131) [I had never heard of "women's menus" that didn't include prices before reading this.]
"Maybe it's more that people don't want women thinking about money, because if we do, we might start burning shit to the ground, and nothing kills the fine dining atmosphere like a gallon of gasoline, a match, and a feminist agenda. It's a recurring theme I've found: The entire notion of fine dining service, and the proper behaviors expected from such an environment, rest on these antiquated gender roles. And to challenge these concepts - which are supposedly indications of polite, genteel society - is to risk coming across as unfeminine, difficult, and rude." (p. 140)
Some quotes I liked:
"The best rebellion I could ever come up with [against diet culture for women] was endeavoring to love myself and hurling every piece of dietary advice out the window with the zeal of someone tossing out a cheating lover's belongings." (p. 15)
"...(pockets on women's clothing, on the rare occasion they are present at all, are just deep enough to carry exactly three baby teeth)." (p. 124)
"The maitre d', seeing our confusion, walks over. 'The women's menus don't have prices,' he explains. 'Because women don't want to think about money.' We all look meaningfully at one another for a few moments, before Nicole and Oli and Rand and I wordlessly trade menus. As I peruse the numbers next to the dishes, the world slowly falls into place again. 'This is so unsettling,' Rand says, staring at the price-less menu. I pat his knee sympathetically. 'Try not thinking about money,' I say." (p. 131) [I had never heard of "women's menus" that didn't include prices before reading this.]
"Maybe it's more that people don't want women thinking about money, because if we do, we might start burning shit to the ground, and nothing kills the fine dining atmosphere like a gallon of gasoline, a match, and a feminist agenda. It's a recurring theme I've found: The entire notion of fine dining service, and the proper behaviors expected from such an environment, rest on these antiquated gender roles. And to challenge these concepts - which are supposedly indications of polite, genteel society - is to risk coming across as unfeminine, difficult, and rude." (p. 140)
Come & Get It by Kiley Reid
Millie Cousins is a second year Senior at the University of Arkansas and works as an RA in her dorm. When a visiting professor, Agatha Paul, joins the faculty for a year Millie helps her find students to interview for a future book idea. Throughout the course of the Fall semester Millie becomes overly involved with both Agatha and three students who are sharing a suite in her dorm. The characters are both Black and White, young and older, and issues of race, class, and money all come up and are explored in a variety of ways throughout the book.
I absolutely LOVED Such a Fun Age and was really looking forward to this one. I didn't love this one but Reid's writing is fabulous and she really did a great job fleshing out each character. There are some similar themes around race and money but explored in different ways than in her previous book. In both there is an almost-middle-aged White woman who seems weirdly fixated on younger Black women and in both issues of class/socioeconomics and money are explored. Maybe it was the college setting but I just didn't like this one nearly as much. And when you find out Kennedy's "big secret/problem" is a huge letdown - maybe that was on purpose to highlight college student attitudes but it seemed weird. The ending was also VERY weird and I didn't understand why it played out like that at all (trying to not give anything away here). There were definitely some things to think about after reading this one but I just don't think it hit the mark like Such a Fun Age did.
I also loved how she wrote one character's Southern accent:
"Out in the kitchen, Casey said, 'Tahler, don't crah!'" = 'Taylor, don't cry!' (p. 211)
More Casey "...'Hang on, sister. Lemme grab mah keys...Ah'm comin'!" (p. 214)
I absolutely LOVED Such a Fun Age and was really looking forward to this one. I didn't love this one but Reid's writing is fabulous and she really did a great job fleshing out each character. There are some similar themes around race and money but explored in different ways than in her previous book. In both there is an almost-middle-aged White woman who seems weirdly fixated on younger Black women and in both issues of class/socioeconomics and money are explored. Maybe it was the college setting but I just didn't like this one nearly as much. And when you find out Kennedy's "big secret/problem" is a huge letdown - maybe that was on purpose to highlight college student attitudes but it seemed weird. The ending was also VERY weird and I didn't understand why it played out like that at all (trying to not give anything away here). There were definitely some things to think about after reading this one but I just don't think it hit the mark like Such a Fun Age did.
I also loved how she wrote one character's Southern accent:
"Out in the kitchen, Casey said, 'Tahler, don't crah!'" = 'Taylor, don't cry!' (p. 211)
More Casey "...'Hang on, sister. Lemme grab mah keys...Ah'm comin'!" (p. 214)
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