Science Fiction: Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

In 2017, I picked up and thoroughly enjoyed Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty, so it was an easy decision to choose Station Eternity for my next science fiction book. It seems Lafferty has once again put together a scifi whodunnit that will keep readers guessing, set in a future where humans have made contact with other intelligent life forms and are still figuring out how we will all coexist in the same universe.

The Situation: Murder has followed Mallory around all her life, and she has often known or been close to the victims. There was her teacher, her guidance counselor, even her uncle and her own mother. And at a certain point, Mallory discovered she has an incredible talent for solving the cases. Authorities are not too fond of having someone they do not trust and are highly suspicious of be the one to be able to solve the crimes. And while Mallory's bizarre history has given her a pretty great career as a mystery writer, it has made for an otherwise anxious and lonely existence. So it is not surprising she sought asylum on Station Eternity, where only two other humans live. 

The Problem: As soon as news hits the Station Eternity has agreed to allow more humans on board, Mallory knows there will be trouble. Even if those humans are little more than tourists, Mallory knows that chances are high someone will die simply because of their proximity to her. When the chaos begins before the shuttle from Earth has even docked properly, Mallory has to choose between running away again, or sticking around and doing what she does best. Aboard the shuttle is a motley crew of people, all with their own reasons for braving space travel to visit Station Eternity. While most everyone has something to hide, some in this particular group hold information that could cause more death. If Mallory does not figure out what is going on, that past will repeat itself on a scale she has yet witnessed.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel set in the not-so-distant future of somewhere in the middle of the 21st century. Humanity has made first contact with alien life, but it is still early enough where the wrinkles have not been ironed out. The U.S. government has gone so far as to send an ambassador to live aboard Station Eternity, a sentient space station where several alien species all live together in relative harmony. If the ambassador does their job, human beings could be invited to join. This is where Mallory Viridian has sought asylum from her chaotic history, while hoping it does not simply follow her. Unfortunately, even a sophisticated and sentient space station is subject to volatile politics, prejudice among species, and beings acting with hidden motives.

My Verdict: Readers were promised an intergalactic whodunnit, and Lafferty certainly delivered. The story opens with Mallory doing her best to exist as only one of three humans on Station Eternity, while dealing with the news that her worst nightmare has come true, and more humans will be coming. Where the story begins to veer into the absurd (and not necessarily in a bad way) is when these other humans arrive, and the reader begins to learn more about them. It would be wild enough to follow one human being, who seems to have death follow her everywhere she goes, around a space station with other alien species. The introduction of the other humans quickly makes the story messy, a little hard to follow, and somehow, also less interesting. The book is subtitled The Midsolar Murders #1, which would indicate there are more to come. Maybe the next mystery will be cleaner and more streamlined.

Favorite Moment: The ambassador, Adrian, is not the worst person ever, but he is annoying, and clearly does not like Mallory. He eventually takes a massive risk, but the consequences are beyond his human abilities.

Favorite Character: Everyone on this station can be hard to deal with (including the station herself), but I will pick Xan. He has been placed in a wide array of unfortunate circumstances, but he does his best to face the situations head on, while also helping others.

Recommended Reading: Lovers of murder mysteries that bend more towards science fiction may enjoy Six Wakes, as well as Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. 

Young Adult Fiction: A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin

Readers that picked up the first book in The Book of Tea duology, A Magic Steeped in Poison, have been given the best of gifts in that the wait was not long for the sequel to be published. In a little over six months after the publication of the first book, readers were able to get their hands on Judy I. Lin's A Venom Dark and Sweet, a conclusion to the monumental adventure one girl must make to save not only herself and her family, but also the world.

The Situation: The competition that was supposed to find the kingdom's greatest master in the magical art of tea-making has not ended as expected. The Banished Prince has returned to take his place on the throne, and Ning now finds herself on the run, along with her newly-healed sister, the princess, and the princess's bodyguard. Their task is to find those that will join them in battle against the General, the man that has now returned to Jia to claim the throne; Chancellor Zhou, the man who is helping him; and the General's adopted son, Kang. Ning tries her best to remember that Kang is the enemy, a boy she once trusted that only ended up betraying her. But she often thinks of the moments before that, the moments when she was excited to see him and knew nothing of his place in the General's plan.

The Problem: It is clear that the General is willing to do what it takes to secure his power over the kingdom, even if that means exacting cruel punishments against those that are not believed to be completely loyal. He has also declared Ning as a wanted criminal, and wants her to be hunted down and returned for her punishment. As Ning accompanies the princess on the mission to find allies as well as any information that will help in returning the princess to the throne, she is continually met with frustrations while still trying to protect her sister, whom she was able to heal at a great cost to herself. The General's claim to the throne is not the only obstacle she must face as an evil more powerful than any human has awoken, determined to claim not only the kingdom, but the entire world.

Genre, Themes, History: This is the second and last book in the young adult fantasy duology, The Book of Tea. While the first book focused on the competition, and on introducing Ning and the art of tea-making, as well as the magic behind it, this second book explores more of the conflict between Princess Zhen's family and the General's, as well as the deep-rooted evil that seems to haunt the kingdom. Mostly told from Ning's first-person perspective, there are also chapters that focus on Kang and what he is seeing from his place as the General's son. Both characters move outside of the palace, allowing the reader to explore parts of the kingdom that are far outside of the palace walls, as well as meet more of its citizens. 

My Verdict: With this second book, Lin continues her trend of incredible world-building, especially now that the narrative follows both Ning and Kang all over the kingdom. The world is filled with so much detail, and again, like with the first book, it is never too much or difficult to follow. It simply makes every scene fully realized and in full color. And the choice to now move beyond the palace is a smart one, as it helps fill out the rest of this world the characters live in, while keeping it anchored to the places we are familiar with due to the initial conflict that is still unresolved. There is tea-making, and magic, and fighting, and deep history, and something that I appreciate, a very real sense of wanting so much to give up, but knowing that you cannot, even though everything is so hard, and seemingly impossible. If you are looking for a couple of fantasy books that will lead you on a brilliant and magical adventure, The Book of Tea duology is for you.

Favorite Moment: The entire scene with the Hermit is pretty great, but I especially love when she conjures a bridge of birds for her and Ning to walk on.

Favorite Character: Ning manages to come into her own in this book, and even sheds some of her naivete when it comes to other people and their motives. She is braver than she thinks she is, and though she is often frustrated by her own helplessness (who isn't?), she pushes past it and does what she can. 

Recommended Reading: I will once again recommend Traci Chee's Sea of Ink and Gold series, but also her recent novel, A Thousand Steps into Night. 

Contemporary Fiction: People Person by Candice Carty-Williams

Sometimes it is not a guarantee that the blog will cover a new book that was written by an author previously featured. That was certainly the case with today's selection, People Person by Candice Carty-Williams, the author of 2019's Queenie. I went back and forth about whether or not I would read the book, much less review it, but here we are. Hopefully, at the very least, I can help out those that may be similarly on the fence.

The Situation: Cyril Pennington, a Jamaica-born British man, has five children by four different women. There is Nikisha, the oldest, a driven and determined mother of two. Second is Danny, a somewhat happy-go-lucky man who has had some missteps in his past, but now does everything in his power to be the father to his kid that he wished Cyril had been for him. Children three and four, Dimple and Lizzie, are only a week apart in age, and could not be more different. Dimple is sensitive and a bit lost, while Lizzie is cold, guarded, and knows exactly what she wants. And finally, there is Prynce, the youngest, and also Nikisha's full brother. They all may have Cyril in common as their dad, but they also share the fact that he was never there for any of them.

The Problem: When Dimple is 30 years old, she finds herself in a terrifying situation that leads her to calling Nikisha. Last time she saw her eldest half-sister, she insisted that her siblings call her if they needed absolutely anything. Dimple did not really expect her big sister to help her, and she certainly did not expect the other three to come by as well. But as the five of them attempt to handle the situation, which quickly goes from bad, to weird and impossible, to downright stressful and potentially life changing, they bond as only five related and often resentful strangers can. And when Cryil makes a reappearance, things get even more chaotic and strange, and poor Dimple may be too sensitive to handle everything that is happening.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel set in and around present-day London. For the most part, the book centers around the five children of Cyril Pennington, but the focus is mostly on Dimple. Cyril's middle child is currently an aspiring influencer with a mediocre following, with no plans to ever leave the home she shares with her overbearing and codependent mother. Through mostly her perspective, the reader gets to know all of Dimple's siblings, as well as many of the extended family, including the four different mothers, Cyril's own mother, and his sisters. While a few of his children are ready to write him off, and understandably so, Dimple remains the one with a soft spot for the father who is a constant disappointment. The five strangers who happen to be related are thrown into a tense situation where they must work together quickly, even though they do not really know or like each other, and Dimple needs to figure out if she even likes herself. 

My Verdict: My hesitation to cover this book was somewhat merited, though I am glad I read it. I expected the messy family dynamics, hard conversations, and the feelings of pity and resentment. What I did not expect was a plot that was all over the place, and to be forced to follow the perspective of the sibling I liked the least. Well, Lizzie may actually be my least favorite, but Dimple really did try my patience. Given how Cyril treated his children and their mothers, it is not surprising that they all have their separate issues and have a hard time interacting with each other, Dimple maybe most of all. But there are only so many times I can witness a character knowingly make a terrible decision, and then cry about the consequences later. However, I do appreciate that the book is ultimately not about Cyril and what he has done, but about the family who has had to make it work without him.

Favorite Moment: Nikisha can be a lot to take, which is exactly what makes her so effective in dealing with someone who keeps giving Dimple trouble. 

Favorite Character: Danny may seem clueless and unbothered, but he is a responsible man who shows up for people and is doing what he can for his son.

Recommended Reading: I certainly prefer Queenie to this book. But I will also recommend This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith. 

Nonfiction: Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon

This may have been mentioned before, but I am absolutely loving all of the nonfiction 2022 has to offer. Today I ventured back into the world of memoirs with Hello, Molly! by Saturday Night Live alum Molly Shannon. In the book, Shannon shares what is was like growing up with a single father in Ohio, her transition to college in New York City, and ultimately, what it took to achieve her dreams as an actress.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a memoir that begins on the fateful night that Shannon lost her mother, baby sister Katie, and her cousin Fran in her terrible car accident. Her grief-ridden father, who was behind the wheel at the time of the accident, would now face the difficult task of raising Shannon and her older sister Mary on his own. For the most part the story is told in chronological order, with the occasional jump forward to supplement a story, or a jump backwards to fill in some details. Shannon talks openly about the early years of living in a comparatively lenient household, and how this would later lend to her particular style of comedy and some of the bold characters she would later come to play. The journey was rarely easy and often difficult, but Shannon faces it as it was, letting audiences see exactly what it took for her to land where she is today. And if there is one other main character of this book besides the author, it would be the father who raised her and her sister while also trying to manage his own grief, and also alcoholism. 

My Verdict: Probably the main thing that struck me about this book was how straightforward and honest Shannon is. Sure, it's a memoir, so honesty is expected. But Shannon's approach is almost to provide little commentary on the events that happened. She does not seem to have an axe to grind, or a desire to call anyone out, or embarrass anyone. Like most people, she had her fair share of tough life events, difficult relationships, and of course, crappy jobs in Los Angeles as she was trying to make it as an actress. And there are plenty of celebrity names that are mentioned that readers will recognize, but it is never simply for the sake of mentioning a celebrity. Every mention serves a purpose, as does every wild story. 

Favorite Moment: Being able to learn exactly how some of Shannon's most well-known characters came to be was interesting, particularly Mary Katharine Gallagher and Sally O'Malley.

Recommended Reading: I have read a few memoirs by various Saturday Night Live alumni, and while none of them disappoint, Steve Martin's Born Standing Up remains my favorite.