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My stated goal on Goodreads is again 12 books this year, and that’ll be the minimum. Wish me luck.
1) Tarot and the Journey of the Hero by Hajo Banzhaf, Psychology/Occult, completed 5 January 2020
2) Bannon & Clare 2: The Red Plague Affair by Lilith Saintcrow, Fantasy: Steampunk, completed 8 January 2020
3) The Phantom Atlas by Edward Brook-Hitching, completed 27 March 2020
4) Journey to Winter by Lazette Gifford, completed 28 March 2020
5) Salmon Run 1: Night of the Aurora by J. A. Marlow, completed 28 March 2020
6) Summerfield 1: Summer Storm by Lazette Gifford, completed 24 December 2020
DNF List
– Changeless by Gail Carriger.
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Ashe Elton Parker
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
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Member since 1998.
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Look me up on Wattpad for some of my books!Yay! I’ve been trying to drag up the energy to check on you. That’s a smart goal and you can always up it if/when you pass 12. I keep setting for 1 a week, but there’s some books I don’t put on my public profile so they don’t count and that means no down weeks ever. Good luck and enjoy.
She remakes mechanical devices, and he dreams of becoming a steamship captain in The Steamship Chronicles. Book 1 is free in eBook.
https://margaretmcgaffeyfisk.com/the-steamship-chronicles/1) Tarot and the Journey of the Hero by Hajo Banzhaf
Five Stars
Author Hajo Banzhaf takes us through the Fool’s Journey in this book on tarot’s Major Arcana. I’ll admit I was a little unimpressed at first that he chose the Rider-Waite-Smith deck for this elucidation, but as I read more, I began to understand why. Mr. Banzhaf’s use of this particular deck fits quite well with his deep knowledge of Jungian Psychology, which comprises much of the book’s explanations of the cards—and the path of the Hero. I’ll admit I put this book down for a long period of time between starting it and finishing it, but I read the latter 75% in a day, I found the information so compelling.
Why did I find this so compelling?
As a patient in therapy for many years now, a lot of what Mr. Banzhaf had to say related to a lot of my experiences as a mentally ill person stabilizing out of uncontrolled mental illness. I saw aspects of myself in this book that I was not expecting to glimpse, and that helped me come to terms with his use of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. While as a tarot reader I use many different decks, I think I will always appreciate this book. It’s something I’ll definitely read over and over again despite its focus on a particular tarot’s Major Arcana.
This is NOT a “how to read tarot” book in the normal sense of the phrase, with definitions for the cards. Lots of those types of books exist. This book instead delves deep into the symbolism of the RWS deck’s cards and uses Jungian psychology to illuminate the journey they depict. Mr. Banzhaf draws from various religions and mythologies also, to educate the reader on the journey depicted in the cards. However, the main part of his analysis uses Jungian psychology, making this book, I think, as much a psychology book as it is an occult, spirituality, new-age, or tarot book.
I would recommend this book for anyone interested in the deeper understanding of the Major Arcana that it offers.
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Ashe Elton Parker
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
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Member since 1998.
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Look me up on Wattpad for some of my books!2) Bannon & Clare 2: The Red Plague Affair by Lilith Saintcrow
Five Stars
Once I let myself get hooked into the book, I didn’t want to stop reading it. Every time I tried to take a break, I very shortly started reading again, unless I was distracted with some real-life task that just had to be done.
In this the second installment of Ms. Saintcrow’s Bannon and Clare series, she creates a compelling and fast-paced tale that gripped my mind until it was all I could think about. Bannon and Clare remain true to their characterizations as even more hints to their personalities are revealed as they hunt for the creator of a deadly plague before it can be unleashed in the world. In this book each realizes the value of the other to themselves, and both act to protect each other, going well above the call of duty to do so. Secrets abound in this novel, and the pair gradually uncovers grim fact after grim fact about the plague, its creator, and its deadly potential.
Back when I read the first book, I instantly fell in love with the duo, and enjoyed their partnership in the extreme—and I’m glad to say that my expectations were met in Bannon and Clare 2. The plot took unexpected turns as the true virulence of the Red Plague became evident, and the way Emma Bannon and Archibald Clare reacted to the twists and turns impressed me, and I think one of my favorite twists was how they outsmart Clare’s archnemesis. What I liked most about the book was how each character grew and developed—and changed.
I’m already looking forward to getting the next book in the series.
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Ashe Elton Parker
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
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Member since 1998.
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Look me up on Wattpad for some of my books!Ooh, I will have to check out that Tarot book. Definitely going on the wish list! I love Jungian analysis, though I don’t know much about it, and I also love Tarot.
Previously RavenCorbie, glad to be back!
3) The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps by Edward Brooke-Hitching
Five Stars
This is probably the last traditionally published book that doesn’t belong to a certain gaming franchise that I purchased. I thought the $10.00 price tag was a bit hefty, and–honestly–if I had gotten this in print, I’d have held out for a paperback copy, and, if no such thing ever came out, never bought the book at all. But a friend mentioned reading it, and how she was enjoying it, and I had the money, so I shelled it out for the ebook.
I don’t regret that decision.
This book was entertaining, interesting, and often surprising. For instance, I never would have considered how map makers in the past ensured their maps were identifiable as definitively *theirs*, and it gave me an idea for the world building in my own fiction and my gaming. A number of the mistaken locales included descriptions of the peoples who lived there and the societies that supposedly developed. It was also interesting to see what kinds of beliefs people held in the past as world exploration developed.
Overall, I feel this book was worth the hefty price tag for an ebook, but I would recommend readers who are tight on funds look first to see if they can find it from their local library system, either in print or through Overdrive.
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Ashe Elton Parker
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
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Member since 1998.
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Look me up on Wattpad for some of my books!4) Journey to Winter by Lazette Gifford
Five Stars
When I picked up this book to read, I knew to expect an excellent story with engaging characters and conflicts that would make me root for them even more than I anticipated I would, and Lazette Gifford delivered.
This book pits Prince Nishanan against distant relatives who rule over an unhappy land. Things are not all as they seem, which is part of what made this books so maddening to read. I wanted so much for Nisha to discover the truth about things and hated seeing him go through the hell he went through once he was brought to the cold North. Ms. Gifford has a way of making me care about her characters–and not just the main characters–that makes them compelling to read.
She’s also an excellent builder of worlds, and the way the North was depicted made me feel for the side characters and the walk-on bit-players. I’m sorry it took me so long to read this book, because I prevented myself from getting to know such interesting characters.
I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to test out Ms. Giffords fantasy-writing skills, because the entire story is so engaging.
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Ashe Elton Parker
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
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Member since 1998.
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Look me up on Wattpad for some of my books!5) Salmon Run 1: Night of the Aurora by J.A. Marlow
Five Stars
I haven’t read Science Fiction regularly in years. However, through experience with reading another of J. A. Marlow’s books, I suspected that I’d be treated to an engaging story with characters I can care about, and that’s just what I found.
I found both Hawk and Zach Callahan interesting and fun to read about. This father and son duo moves to Alaska to fulfill the requirements of a will left by a crazy uncle so they can inherit the lodge their uncle left behind. On the way to Salmon Run, where the lodge stands, they encounter friendly and welcoming people from the community and embark upon a trip on a remarkable train to get to their destination.
Unfortunately, the train stalls out before they reach Salmon Run, and an alternate method of transportation is used. On the way, Zach and his new friend Sasha are unintentionally waylaid by a buried alien vessel while Hawk continues on to Salmon Run before realizing the two are missing.
Though I found this book a little short for my liking–it ended before I expected it to–it was a great fun read with strong characters and a storyline that kept me hooked. I’d definitely recommend this book as an introduction to J. A.’s writing.
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Ashe Elton Parker
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
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Member since 1998.
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Look me up on Wattpad for some of my books!6. Summerfield 1: Summer Storm by Lazette Gifford
Five stars
Review:
Once again, Ms. Gifford delivers a fun book with engaging characters and an excellent conflict to keep things going.
Summerfield (known only by his last name to many), is a reporter for Wolton World News, or as some call it, “Woo Woo News” for its focus on otherworldly events. During a storm, he hears a report of a giant cat and follows its trail along a riverbank. On the way, he picks up a necklace that promptly puts him in the center of a major conflict brought over to our world from Faerie.
The Dragon Clan has lost the Egg of their Totem, which fell from the sky on their escape from Faerie under pursuit by enemies. With the help of a member of an exiled clan and a great deal of luck, both good and bad, Summerfield is swept into the war between the Dragon Clan and the Centaur Clan in the search for Dragon Clan’s Egg.
Lazette Gifford weaves a harrowing Urban Fantasy tale that kept me hooked. Even when I put this book down, it was on my mind, no matter how long it took me to get back to it. The author has a gift for tension, and she uses it well in this story. I also enjoyed all the primary characters, from Summerfield right down through the members of the Dragon Clan. It’s a fun, fast read that is highly entertaining and kept me on the proverbial edge of my seat.
If someone is looking for a new series by an author they’re unfamiliar with, I’d definitely point them at this one.
Ashe Elton Parker
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
~*~
Member since 1998.
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Look me up on Wattpad for some of my books! -
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