[  Mood: Fed Up WIth Life ]
[  Currently: Watching Stephen Colbert at the Olympics ]
Today, March 24, is Ada Lovelace Day. A day to celebrate woman in science. Bloggers around the world are posting blog entries dedicated to the women who dare to do science.

Now I toyed with the idea of doing a fictional scientist, heck I even tried to get the people of RevSF to do a series on fictional female scientists of sci-fi, but as the day approached, I began to think, “I need to do a real woman”.

So I bring you, Gail Anderson, professor at Simon Fraser University.

Why her? Cause she is famous for her work in forensic entomology.

Yup, that’s right. She uses bugs to figure how long someone has been dead. To decidedly unfeminine things. She plays with dead things and bugs. She is a seven yer-old boy’s dream date!

And Dr. Anderson has not just helped catch those people who have murdered humans. Two poachers who had shot baby black bears for the sole purpose harvesting their gallbladders found themselves convicted thanks to her work. Anderson’s work on the biological origins of criminal behaviour has been hailed as innovative and refreshing. She routinely consults with police forces across Canada, including the RCMP and was named by Time as one of the top five innovators in criminal justice.

OK, now she’s Batman’s dream date.

Add on to this the reality that without Gail Anderson, Gil Grissom would just be a creepy guy who knows way to much about furries and little people to not be in a penitentiary.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[  Currently: Watching My son play and trying to stop him from terrorizing the cat ]

Recently, we here at RevSF did a podcast on the Wizard of Oz. This lead me to want to read the book again to see what I thought of it now that I was an adult.

Realistically, there are many children’s classics from the early 1900s that don’t stand up to the test of time. Instead they are snapshots of the time in which they are written. The Wizard of Oz may be the greatest classic written at this time. So it would be fair to think that it would be the greatest disappointment.

Not so.

This may have more to do with the genius that was L. Frank Baum. When Baum created his fantasy classic, it wasn’t like the other children’s books at the time. Due to this, he had problems get the book published. Why? He had, essentially, created a new genre, one that was inspired by fairy tales, but was not derived directly from them.

And because of this, the book holds up pretty well for the modern reader. It is definately not the gritty, romance fantasy that is so popular with modern teens. Instead, this is a gentle story with minor dangers that is perfect to read aloud to younger children. Stronger primary readers are safe in tackling this book alone. It would be perfect for curling up with your child on a cold winter’s night just before bed.

It will be joining an upcoming What to Read After Harry.

[  Mood: Happy ]

In case you missed it, I recommended Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians a while back in my What to Read After Harry column. So it was with glee that I picked up the second installment in the series. Yes, I know that second installments can let us down, but I had high hopes for my buddy Al.

I was not disappointed.

Alcatraz is back, and this time is on the trail of his Grandfather Smedry, who himself is on the trail of Alcatraz’s father, who himself has headed to the Library of Alexandria. If this sounds confusing, don’t worry, it isn’t. It is, however, indicative of the style of this book.

Brandon Saunderson’s second entry in his Alcatraz series continues with the mad-capped, zany, fourth-wall-breaking adventures of his protagonist stumbling from disaster to disaster, using his talent for breaking things to try and save the day. Alcatraz learns more about his power, as well as the rest of his family. He also gets a glimpse into what Bastille’s life is really like (with hints of the romance you know is coming!)

This is an excellent book for the reluctant reader in your life, as well as the ardent fantasy fan. It does not take itself too seriously, while taking swipes at the likes of Garth Nix. Go get this.[img]

[  Mood: Happy ]
[  Currently: Watching My son colour ]

This novel brings to a conclusion Karen Miller’s epic Kingmaker, Kingbraker series. (OK – admittedly there are only two books long – but they are sooooooo long, that it is epic!)

In this installment, we find Asher helping Gar adjust to the death of his family as well as his new role as king. Gar makes Asher the Olken administrator, to the acclaim of his fans and muttering of his enemies. Asher is finally also making headway in wooing Dathne. Things look like they are going well.

That is until Gar’s magic begins to fail and Asher’s begins to emerge. Then Gar asks Asher to risk everything to help him keep up the facade, neither realizing that the darkest force of all is behind everything, waiting for the right time to strike.

Although there is a little dip in pace in the middle, Miller’s story moves at a good clip, coming to a thrilling conclusion. These are main characters that you care for and a main villain that you can boo. Worth getting.

Ambrose is an odd kid. Because he has an anaphalactic reaction to peanuts, his mother is over protective. Afraid to loose him after the sudden death of his father, Ambrose’s mother won’t allow him to do anything without her. No hanging out with friends after school, no sports. Add to that the fact that they have moved every few years so that his mother can take another low paying sessional lecturer job, and it becomes easy to see why Ambrose has trouble relating to his peers.

Things get so bad that Ambrose is slipped a peanut by a school bully and nearly dies. His mother decides to pull him out of school and homeschool him. This means she has to shift her work hours to the evening, leaving Ambrose alone. At first, he enjoys his freedom, but he quickly becomes bored. Stumbling across a flyer for a Scrabble Club, Ambrose hatches a plan to get a ride from his landlord’s ex-convict son. Unbeknowst to Ambrose, this sets off a chain of events that will turn his world upside down, while at the same time allow him to stand on hsi own two feet for the first time.

Author Susin Nielsen has created a wonderful story about those people on the fringe of social groups, as well as allowing people the space to change. Brilliant, without being preachy. (show less)