GentleRain – Page 22 – Cannonball Read 17

Another Indifferent Science Fiction Collection from the 60s.

The Year's Best S-F: 10th Annual Edition by Edited by Judith Merril

December 22, 2022 by GentleRain Leave a Comment

At this point I’m starting to question my decision to work through these 60s/70s SF/F collections, but I continue on because each of them does have a few notable stories, and I am interested in the history and foundation of the field. I think what I got the most out of this one was seeing famous authors breaking onto the scene and the background information on magazines Merril was pulling from, as well as her opinions on current events and the state of SF/F in […]

“I own me!” A powerful memoir of healing from trauma

Sex Cult Nun by Faith Jones

December 21, 2022 by GentleRain Leave a Comment

Thanks again to Jake for this Book Exchange gift! I tore right through this one, as it hits a lot of my interest areas and is well written. Sex Cult Nun details Faith Jones’ life growing up in the Children of God/The Family cult during the 80s and 90s. Having watched several documentaries and read about this group before, this was less of a shocking book for me than for someone who has no knowledge about the Children of God. For me, it was more […]

A wonderful SF/F anthology for young adults (and really anyone!)

Firebirds by Edited by Sharyn November

December 20, 2022 by GentleRain Leave a Comment

In retrospect so many of the books I loved from a young reader until today were published under the Firebird imprint, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been contemporaneous with what were clearly great years for their publishing program. Just looking at the list of books that takes up the first two pages here — Lloyd Alexander, Nancy Farmer, Sylvia Engdahl, Brian Jacques, Robin McKinley, Tanith Lee, etc — and then considering the additional star power of this anthology — Charles Vess, Garth Nix, […]

“If, for some unknown reason, you find yourself in a casino, always remember to tip your dealer.”

Last Night at the Casino: Volume 1 by Billy McCall

December 9, 2022 by GentleRain Leave a Comment

I really like this zine so was thrilled to see that he had collected the first eight issues into one volume, along with some new material. I collect zines and especially love perzines and zines dealing with aspects of life I don’t have as much knowledge about, which casinos definitely fall under. Last Night at the Casino details Billy McCall’s experiences working as a casino dealer at a smaller casino in New Mexico, mainly working at the craps table. When the book begins, he’s just […]

“Monsters are easier to fight when you’ve got people on your side.”

Dungeons and Dragons: Dungeon Club: Roll Call by Molly Knox Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma

December 6, 2022 by GentleRain 2 Comments

I honestly don’t remember pre-ordering this, but I’m glad I did! The magic of a book showing up like a little unexpected gift in my mailbox never gets old. Dungeons and Dragons: Dungeon Club: Roll Call has an unwieldy title but is a sweet middle grade graphic novel about using D&D and the power of imagination to build friendships and overcome fears. Olivia and Jess are best friends who love playing D&D together, but when Olivia decides to start a D&D club at school and […]

“There is beauty in my truth, and I have so much to share.”

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 by Edited by Rebecca Roanhorse

December 3, 2022 by GentleRain Leave a Comment

I look forward to this collection every year and so it was a treat to see it pop up in the bookstore recently. The selections are always varied and interesting, and John Joseph Adams should get special kudos for all the preparatory work he does before he chooses the best 80 stories and hands them over to the guest editor to choose 20 for publication. In contrast to the 70s SF/F anthologies I’ve been slogging my way through this year in the hopes that there […]

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Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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