Monthly rundown vol. 3

Space, theology, mushrooms, and rock 'n roll

Hey, everybody! It’s been a strange week, which means I have both too much and not enough to say. Do you ever feel that way? It usually means I’m in need of some extended journaling, or a long conversation with a friend. So this month, instead of rambling let’s get straight to reviews (and here’s my for-your-information note that any book links are affiliate links). 

The Calculating Stars and The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal. I actually read The Calculating Stars a few months ago, but somehow never talked about it here, and I definitely want to talk about it because this series is so good! The series is an alternate history about a global natural disaster in the 1950s that accelerates space exploration (including international cooperation and diversity). The Calculating Stars centers around Elma York, a former WWII pilot and human computer in the U.S. space program who becomes deeply and personally involved in making sure women are an integral part of the fledgling astronaut corp, all while dealing with grief and anxiety. The Relentless Moon continues the story years later with a shift in point of view to Elma’s fellow astronaut and politician's wife Nicole Wargin, and is set on the new lunar colony. It centers around a mystery involving terrorism to the space program, but also deftly explores questions about how humanity responds to disaster, change, and conflicting points of view. As always, Kowal writes vivid, compelling characters and tackles topics like anxiety, equality, diversity, disordered eating, grief, love, and found family, all while telling a really fun story. 

Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia. Like all good gothic stories, this novel is creepy, atmospheric, mysterious, all with a touch of the supernatural. The characters were really well written, and the 1950s setting added a nice touch. 

Graves Upon Bones by Chad Allen Gibbs is the second book in Gibbs’ Izzy and Elton mystery series. The tone reminds me of Veronica Mars in all the best ways, with a similarly snarky and precocious heroine who has a very low sense of self-preservation, and an engaging, fast-paced mystery. It also has the benefit of being set in one of my favorite cities (London).

We Are the Light by Matthew Quick. Matthew Quick has a gift for writing stories about tragedy, trauma, and mental illness with compassion, sensitivity, and always a thread of hope. We Are the Light is no exception. It’s well-written and compelling, and he uses the tight first person point of view really well. (content warning: mass shooting) 

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. If you’re in the mood for a dense theological book that will, at minimum, make you think a lot, well, The Cost of Discipleship is a classic for a reason. I ended up listening to a lot of this one on audio, and it helped me not to get lost in the language and complexity, but allowed my brain to kind of pick out bigger ideas and themes. I particularly liked the first third of the book, as Bonhoeffer goes through the Sermon on the Mount. 

The Last of Us (HBOMax) Jeremy and I were one of the many who watched The Last of Us.  I don’t naturally gravitate toward post-apocalyptic, end-of-the-world stories, but everything I heard about this one made me want to try it, and it really was superb storytelling. It’s a little dark and gory, but like all good disaster fiction, it asks a lot of thought provoking questions about what humans do when the world crumbles. This definitely isn’t a show that will appeal to everyone, but if you liked The Walking Dead, it’s got a similar feel (at least, from what I remember of the first few seasons which is all I watched of The Walking Dead).

Daisy Jones and the Six (Amazon Prime miniseries) I drank the Daisy Jones Kool-aid and would do it again in a heartbeat. The show is adapted from a novel that is loosely inspired by Fleetwood Mac, and told in an oral history format. For the show, this translates into dual timelines with the 1960s/70s story being played out while in a flash forward the characters are being interviewed approximately 20 years later. Here are the things I liked about the show: the 70s vibe and atmosphere, the chemistry between all of the characters, the music (THE MUSIC IS SO GOOD), the complex relationships, and the way you really get to know the characters as their story unfolds. On the surface it’s a familiar story of “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll,” but the nuance and depth of characters really make it sizzle. (side note: I never read the book, and that may have served me well, since I didn’t have anything to compare it to). If nothing else, do yourself a favor and go listen to the soundtrack. 

I think that’s about it, folks! Talk again soon…