BookOwl

  *Spoiler warning!* 4/5 stars Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things is my latest foray into Amanda Lovelace’s fairytale and folklore-inspired poetry. While this volume was on the shorter end, I still enjoyed it and found that many of its poems resonated with me. “Who said you can’t/Wear a flower crown/& still remain/A fearsome thing?” The main mythology Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things draws from is the story of Persephone (also known as Kore), the goddess of spring and of the underworld. A complex and fascinating dichotomy, Persephone’s story is one of my favorites from Greek mythology, and I was thrilled that Lovelace was channeling Persephone in her poetry here. The symbolism here is fairly obvious in that spring can be associated with the traditional notion of femininity, that of being beautiful, yet delicate. Yet, Persephone also has a tougher side of her, in that she helps to oversee the underworld, no doubt getting a full look at death in all its forms. There’s a ...

  *Spoiler alert!* 4/5 stars The third and final volume of the “Women Are Some Kind of Magic” series reveals that after the deepest, darkest parts of her journey, Lovelace is ready to confront her past and move on. Writing, an essential survival mechanism to start with, has become more of a way to take joy in merely creating. Therefore, the title referencing The Little Mermaid seems very apt here. “Star light/Star bright/First star/I see tonight/I wish I might/Flee my skin/For but a night” The previous lines may indicate that writing is still a survival mechanism for Lovelace—as I’ve pointed out before, writing is many things all at once for different people—but I feel that these words betray also the wonder one finds in the words of another, that allow yourself to experience many lifetimes in your very short one (cosmically speaking). Pure joy and defiance. While I could relate to aspects of Lovelace’s life experience as I read the first two volumes in this series, I real...

  *Spoiler alert!* 4/5 stars The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One is Amanda Lovelace’s second entry in her “Women Are Some Kind of Magic” series. The princess/queen we see in the first book has turned into a witch, out for revenge and full of fire. Because, after she saves herself, the princess has time to confront her demons head-on and that isn’t easy. Healing processes are messy, especially when you’re angry and the world has dealt you some nasty cards. The key is not to be consumed by the anger, but to sit with it and recognize its validity, and make the course corrections needed. Anger merely points out injustice—use it, but don’t make it a perpetual state you exist in. Maybe that’s just my experience. Don’t let it use you. “Yes/I know/All about/The/Woman/Who’s/Been/Screaming/Her whole/Life/For/The chance/To be/Heard/By someone/Take/This pen/From me/& uncage her” The poem I quoted, “You Owe This To Yourself,” made the most impact on me. It reflects my own use of writin...

*Spoilers ahead!* 4/5 stars I have been meaning to get back into poetry for a while now. The Princess Saves Herself in This One is the first entry of poet Amanda Lovelace’s “Women Are Some Kind of Magic” series. This volume was the perfect segue back into poetry for me, and like Amanda Gorman (another awesome poet who happens to share the first name of the author of this book I’m discussing), it will definitely stick around in my brain, hopefully planting seeds of inspiration for my own writing, poetry or otherwise. Why do I have the feeling that this book left a mark on me? Well, for starters, Lovelace tackles her own inner experience, whereas Amanda Gorman’s poetry tackles the collective trauma of a whole nation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying economic downturn. Both explorations of the internal and external are equally valid and powerful. Both explore complex topics and make the reader think. Really think. The Princess Saves Herself in This One is an...

*Spoiler alert!* 4/5 stars This is what happens when I get really into a new book series: I finish the first two books in quick succession and then have to wait for the third book that isn't coming out until later this year! (And of course there was quite the cliffhanger after the latest one, and I have to sit here and stew about what might happen next in the concluding volume.) Why am I like this?! I found  Blood of Troy , the second entry in Claire M. Andrews' "Daughter of Sparta" series, to be better than the first (and I thought the first book was good). In  Daughter of Sparta , we see Daphne go on a quest to save Olympus itself and narrowly succeed. A year later, she continues to build a hero's reputation for herself (despite being a non-Spartan-born citizen, a  mothakes ) through her fighting prowess, overcoming opponents twice her size on a regular basis. Although, Daphne remains haunted by the trauma of her quest a year ago, so she's a bit off, and t...

  *Spoiler alert!* 4/5 stars Daughter of Sparta is the first entry in Claire Andrews' "Daughter of Sparta" trilogy. It takes the classic Greek tale of Daphne and Apollo and gives it a bit of a feminist spin, recentering Daphne as a Spartan-trained warrior called upon by the gods to save Olympus. Nine mysterious objects of importance have been stolen from Olympus, and the gods' powers are fraying as a result, throwing the world into chaos. Daphne is tapped by Artemis to recover these nine artifacts before it is too late, and Apollo is to guard her on the quest. Unable to refuse the gods, as they hold the fate of her best friend (Lykou) and her brother (Pyrrhus) in their hands (both have been transformed into animals, Lykou a wolf, and Pyrrhus a deer), Daphne must use her fighting prowess and wits to overcome the odds stacked against her.  I have to confess that I was not familiar with the tale of Daphne and Apollo, but after I finished reading Daughter of Sparta , I di...

  5/5 stars *Spoiler alert!* As a proud Midwesterner (born in Michigan and currently living in Wisconsin), I will admit that my review is a bit biased. However,  The Midwest Survival Guide  by comedian and podcast host Charlie Berens, is an absolute gem! With contributions from many writers and inspired by Charlie's trips around the country, everything from Midwestern culture to its hidden travel gems are explored in humorous detail. You could tell that this book was proudly Wisconsin-centric, as many jokes were made about the state of Illinois, and its professional football team, "da Bears" (the Chicago Bears), chief rival to the Green Bay Packers. (As a Packer fan, I especially enjoyed this.) I didn't listen to this one on audio, but having gone to one of Berens' shows in La Crosse, I could definitely hear his accent as I read it. (I had a grand time!) "Turns out the oceans regulate temperatures and are too big to push around weather-wise. So, when the...

  *Spoiler alert!* 4/5 stars My heart already wants a sequel to The Mountain in the Sea , but my head says that maybe it's better as a stand-alone. This conflict will continue for some time, because I truly enjoyed The Mountain in the Sea . "That was one of the keys, Ha knew, to understanding them. That lack of control from the center, that feedback from limbs, that pure embodiment of mind. They were not trapped in a skull, controlling everything from behind a sheath of bone. They were free-flowing, through the entire body. Not a ladder--a ring. A neural ring moving signals from limb to limb to mind, back again. A distribution loop through the whole body. A whole consciousness that could become parts, and then whole again. A whole consciousness that could become parts, and then whole again. It was one of the many problems Ha felt she would have no time to solve." My co-worker read this book out of his fascination for the octopus. His review, plus the concept reminding me ...

  4.5/5 stars *Spoilers warning!* Happy 2023! Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow  by Gabrielle Zevin won the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards in the fiction category, so I had to see for myself if I enjoyed it. (Spoiler alert: I did!) I'm glad I had this one as my first read for 2023! This book has the most compelling exploration of love in all forms, whether it is friendship or a romance.  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow  is primarily about three people that came together to start a video game company. The book tracks the progress of these three friends, who develop deep and meaningful relationships with each other as they design and promote video games over a span of thirty years. There is something special that comes with a collaborative art project of any kind, whether it is in video games or painting or writing or any kind of art. Zevin does a good job of showing us how bonds can be forged within and outside of the creative process. Two of the three co-founde...