Book Review: Badger to the Bone

 

Badger to the Bone

by Shelly Laurenston

Laurenston is a fairly prolific author of shifter paranormal fiction and romance. I read The Unleashing, part of her Call of Crows series, which incorporated Norse mythology and thoroughly enjoyed that.

The thing you have to understand going in is that these are shifters, people who are not human, and they are very much in tune with the animal side of their nature. Then you have to realize that the three main characters – Max, Charlie, and Stevie – are honey badgers. They are tenacious, aggressive, and fearless. The three girls personify those traits.

They are also deeply loyal to their family and those they consider part of their family, whether or not they were born to that. The three girls have the same good-for-nothing father and have stuck by one another through thick and thin. That’s Max’s family by blood.

Then there’s Max’s teammates, who are family by nature and choice. They are all honey badgers, grew up together, and play on the same basketball team.

Laurentson does a tremendous job of giving back story on the characters to explain, from a human psychological point of view, why they are the way they are. That is, even if they weren’t honey badger shifters.

And there’s usually a romantic couple at the heart of Laurenston’s stories. This book focuses on Max, and a “stray kitty” she brings home in the form of Zeze Vargas. Ze is a cat shifter but he doesn’t know it until Max acquaints him with the shifter world.

Of course, there are complications galore and feuds abound as different factions of different families come into conflict over the shifter tendency to consider themselves above the law and human society.

As I read, I wondered if I was just a little more sensitive to it right now, or if this book really was a lot more savage then the other series I read? I looked back at my review for The Unleashing. Yeah, I mentioned how bloody it was. For some reason, that wasn’t the aspect that stayed with me though.

I think, perhaps, because the story telling is so strong – the characters are well developed and really interesting, plus the plot is faced-paced and intriguing – the bloody parts of the story are able to be skimmed over and generally forgotten if you don’t find them interesting.

If you really don’t like fighting or killing is a stop word for you, then give this one a pass. However, if you’re a fan of urban fantasy or paranormal, then you’re probably able to maintain the distance necessary to enjoy this book.

It’s a jungle out there, a concrete jungle, and these shifters may have human emotions and goals, but they have their own animalistic way of going about getting there. It’s a very interesting read.

Adventures in Home Learning: Episode 24

 

It’s that time of year – back to school for many all over the United States. This year, though, the start of school is looking very different for a lot of kids, in a multitude of ways.

Different places have always started classes at different times, some in August and some in September. Home schooling has also become much more popular over the past twenty years for a variety of reasons. My own daughter will be starting fifth grade this year in a sort of hybrid format.

Last year, with the advent of Covid-19, we spent the second half of the school year working from home together. Her classes were largely online, with a packet of papers, and some meetings with her whole class in Zoom.

This year, we are starting the year that way, though I am working from home only part of the time. Her school IS offering classes in person, so her teacher is not going to do any face to face meetings online. Instead there were will be instructional videos that are pre-corded. She will have a packet we are required to pick up weekly, and assignments online, daily.

I’m waiting to see what the packet contains, but my husband was told there would be no music, art, or gym guidance. Those areas will be entirely up to us. That means it’s time for me to start planning how to fill those parts of her education.

We have a lovely old piano in the house and I bought a recorder kit form US Borne Books when a friend was having a party. I may look for some actual assignments having to do with music as well. I seem to recall learning to read music at her age. She’s already started a bit with the recorder and the piano both.

When it comes to art, I figure coloring is okay some of the time, but I’ll be looking to Pinterest for some projects I can do with her and some home schooling assignments online having to do with art at the fifth grade level. I figure I should not try to reinvent the wheel in a subject that is not my forte.

Dad will take her for some hikes and we have an exercise bike, but I will also look for some assignments there as well. I want her to move more, but I’d also like her to learn about some different sports. I really don’t remember what we were doing when I was in fifth grade other than running laps around the field, and playing dodge ball.

Honestly, I’m anticipating the biggest challenge will be her lack of interest. I intend to plan with her, hoping to build some buy-in for this type of education. I’d like to have her develop some self-direction. I’d also like to have a similar schedule to last year, with free-reading time and a chore or two in the afternoon.

I figure the best thing to do is to start with asking her what she would like to learn about in these three key areas – art, music, and physical education. Knowing my child, I’m betting she won’t have a clue and I’ll have to offer her options. That’s when I move to three options for each area. Hopefully as she goes along, she will develop some ideas about what she would like to learn about.

Then I will look at what interests her. She likes anime, so I’m hoping we can get her interested in learning the Japanese language this year with our library’s Mango languages database, or for free through Duolingo.

I figure when all else fails, I’ll resort to bribery, but I’m not sure what with.

 

Book Review: Witchmark by C.L. Polk

 

Witchmark

by C.L. Polk

This book caught my attention as I was selecting reading material for a patron. The simple design of the blue cover is lovely, and has a certain 1920's charm, with the bicycle rider in a bowler hat and the reflected image of a man in a top hat and woman in a skirt.

The tag line on the back definitely caught my attention as I turned it over – “A stunning, addictive fantasy that combines intrigue, magic, betrayal, and romance.” Who doesn’t love a book with all those things?

But did it live up to the promise of that cover and tag line? Mostly. It was certainly a page turner; I didn’t want to put it down.

The story is set in a world that’s very similar to England just after World War I, where men are returning home, shell-shocked. Miles is a psychiatrist at a veteran’s hospital.

Miles has been treating returning veterans who feel like they have a killer living inside of them, someone separate from themselves. He manages to heal one man using his magical talent but he isn’t completely sure how or if it will come back. He needs to figure this out and heal the other men, because these men sometimes kill their families.

One night, just as Miles is leaving, a well-to-do man pulls up in a carriage with a dying man. The dying man manages to gasp out that he was poisoned, then transfers his power to a shocked Miles.

Miles is afraid someone will realize he is a witch, a dangerous thing to be in these days, where witches are sent to asylums because they all eventually go crazy. Or do they?

Miles himself is from a rich family, and they consider themselves mages. They don’t go insane. So why do the witches? Are they just weak?

The posh man who brought the poisoned man to the hospital is not who he seems, and he has seen everything – including the dying witch giving his magic to Miles. Is he a friend or a foe? Of course, Miles isn’t quite who he seems either.

The setting is deceptively simple. It’s Edwardian England with just enough Steampunk style touches to make it foreign. They have "aether" instead of electricity. The dialogue and stage direction are well crafted. You can fade right into the story.

The only criticism I have is a couple of important scenes that are rushed, just a shade too fast, lacking mental and emotional reaction from the characters. I suspect the original manuscript was a bit longer than the publisher liked.

The story builds logically with solid detective work and revelations building on revelations. I did not see where this was going, which is always one of my highest notes of praise. I like to be surprised.

And yet, the journey is the best part.

“I understand what it’s like.”

“You don’t. You imagine. You sympathize. But you can’t understand.”

Isn’t that true of us all in a number of circumstances? Definitely a very strong debut novel.

Adventures in Home Learning: Episode 23

 

Personal note - we’ve finally heard from the school district and been given an appointment for my daughter to go in and get a laptop computer loaded with everything they will be using, and be shown how to use it. I figure it will be good for her to get a chance to meet her teacher before the online teaching begins as well.

Grading in Homeschooling

A friend who is homeschooling posted a question about grading rubrics. She seemed to be feeling a little bit lost as to how to grade her kids. I think she also wants to make sure that she is doing it by the book so the state doesn’t give her any problems at the end of the school year. That’s a very understandable feeling.

When I was taking my teaching degree years ago, the emphasis was on a portfolio assessment, which illustrated the growth of the student in grasping concepts and applying them. Whole language and writers workshop were applied to help students improve their writing and spelling by actually doing a piece of writing, then improving it through editing. They could write about what they loved and therefore were more invested in it. Then came national testing and that seemed to go out the window. Everything had to be quantifiable and a numerical grade assigned. That was most easily done by multiple choice question standardized tests, but teaching by rote memorization does not really help with mastery of information.

Lots of people wrote back to my friend with great advice on how to assess the learning and growth of her children. Here are a few different web sites with good advice and different approaches, in case anyone is trying to grasp this necessary but slippery concept of grading home schooled work.

To Grade or Not to Grade: Assigning Grades to Your Homeshooler – Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

How Do I Evaluate My Student’s Progress? – HLSDA

5 Tips for Grading in Homeschool – Steppingblocks

 

 

Book Review: Outraged - Why Everyone is Shouting and No One is Talking by Ashley "Dotty" Charles

 

Outraged: Why Everyone is Shouting and No One is Talking

by Ashley “Dotty” Charles

A few years ago, Charles began looking at how outraged people were becoming over relatively minor problems then becoming too worn out to effect deep, systemic change, while the bigger issues raged on. She wrote an article in the British newspaper, The Guardian, titled, “Currency of Outrage,” which was published on January 25^th of 2018 and it grew into this book.

“Outrage used to require more than a caption under a reposted picture. It required action and intent. It was the train that aimed to move protest towards progress.”

She calls this book, “an outrage intervention for anyone who has gotten high on indignation.”

As I’ve worked on building my author platform on Facebook and Twitter, this is an issue I’ve become more and more aware of. Recently, I saw people expressing outrage in a variety of ways about Melania Trump’s renovation of the White House Rose Garden. The crab apple trees and most of the rose bushes were removed. I wondered, how long do crab apple trees last? My research suggested 40 years seemed to be the average but these were planted nearly 80 years before. What about roses? Some older varieties might live indefinitely, but many rose bushes decline after 40 years. Furthermore the crab apple trees were said to be transplanted somewhere else on the grounds and not all the roses were removed. So, inept? Perhaps. Maybe just different. Criminal and worth our energy? I don’t think so. Not when there are true threats to our environment that need to be combated.

Charles says, “If outrage is currency then think of your expression of outrage as an investment…. It goes beyond simply ‘taking offence’. You are outraged because you seek growth, change, evolution; a return on your investment.”

She provides ample cases with a higher than reasonable response by the public. Was it a slow news time and they need something to put out? Are they really so desperate for ratings that media is amping up the hype surrounding stories? Are they just getting better at creating “clickbait” headlines? Is it the social media “influencers” looking for something to latch on to get their likes and shares up?

Charles delves into the Rachel Dolezal case, a white woman who claimed to be black and how people, rather than being perplexed or mildly annoyed by the situation, jumped to outrage. She doesn’t let herself off the hook either. She admits that she added to the noise surrounding it as a radio personality. “I had deliberately contributed to the noise by reveling in her vilification. The whole thing was beginning to feel regrettable.”

Charles can be a bit acidic, but she has a wonderful sense of self-deprecating humor. “I scrolled past the video because online algorithms aren’t the boss of me, then scrolled back up to it and pressed play, because who am I kidding?”

 “Our digital fits of rage aren’t necessarily coming from a place of genuine concern; they might just be manifestations of our own vanity, a prop to boost our performance on the world’s biggest stage. Of course! Why intervene during a racial attack on a flight when you can quietly record the footage from three rows away and broadcast your outrage to the whole matrix?”

People on both sides of the aisle need us to feed their ratings, so they feed our outrage.

Charles takes on the talking heads of media and how they sell outrage. She points out that we seem to think that we are morally obligated to engage and refute the outrageous statements that some of them make. But, we’re doing what they want, we’re feeding their ratings. It’s like engaging with trolls online, that’s exactly what they want. If ignored, they eventually go away.

However, I have to say, that while I appreciate her points, I’m not completely convinced. People who offer dehumanizing statements about immigrants or make other suggest statements to poke the public and get them to engage or click, are always going to have their audience who believes what they do and are just confirming their own beliefs. But what about our friends and family who are being swayed by twisting of facts because they are listening to less than scrupulous sources? Do we have an obligation to engage in order to help them see the truth? And when and where do we engage?

Charles discusses Twitter boycotts or hashtag activism to show support but questions how much they really change things? She suggests that most people do not follow through to see that the politicians follow through on their promises to “investigate” much less actually make a change. She believes that if we don’t show up in person, we’re never going to effect real change. She may be right. Has activisim been appropriated into cheap sound bites?

She does allow that “Viral activism can have its uses by mobilizing outrage and making resistance both visible and accessible for a number of worthwhile causes.”

As a librarian, I am a strong advocate for fact checking. Charles maintains that by and large, “…we are habitual conformists, willing to follow the crowd off a cliff. We don’t fact-check or question. We repost and agree.”

In the final chapter, Charles talks about ways she has reduced her social media presence and footprint on the Internet. She has “retired from posting hot takes.” I think that’s a wise policy for all. We need to be more careful and deliberate in our research and responses to issues, decide where to expend our time and energy.

There are so many issues out there that truly need our time, care, and attention. Do some research, pick one, or two. Then, Charles says, “…by all means get angry. Get as angry as you possibly can. But do it with an ambition that extends beyond social media kudos.”

I think this book presents some truly fantastic advice in a very readable, and compact, selection. It probably ought to be required reading in a host of college classes. Hmm, how many college professors do I know?

Adventures in Home Learning: Episode 22

 

Home Learning and Home Schooling

We’ve decided to keep our daughter enrolled in her regular school but opt for completely virtual instruction this year. We spoke with a few people, including the middle school secretary and principal, so I know they are aware of this, but we haven’t received any information from the school yet about exactly how the online learning will work. I’m hoping that will be forthcoming soon.

I have a feeling that we’ll need to do some supplementation, much like last spring, so I’m still paying attention to home schooling resources and making lists of options. (I bought my daughter a recorder in an online book party, and some fashion design drawing and coloring books. Just compiling options. Pinterest is my favorite source these days for simple craft and art projects.)

Monday night our library offered a Homeschooling 101 program conducted by Danielle Peters and Saunseray Benjamin, local homeschool leaders. They call their group, ArrowKids, and their mission is stated as “Empower Parents. Enrich Students. Excellence in Education.”

They offered a little over an hour in information about private homeschooling in New York and homeschooling in general, with ample opportunities to ask questions. There were tips on navigating the regulations, finding your schooling style, choosing curriculum, scheduling your day, and tapping into homeschool organizations and resources.

They kindly provided a multi-page handout with all their talking points and links to information. Here’s a little overview.

They said that letters of intent to homeschool were due by August 1^st this year but within 14 days of starting homeschooling if you start within the school year. They go directly to the school district. Then the school district lets you know who to submit your Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) to. (Some links to creating the IHIP were shared in the last blog post here.) Apparently IHIPs are due within 4 weeks of receiving your response from the school.

As I’ve read a few different places already, they recommended keeping your IHIP simple. You can always add to it, but once you’ve stated a goal the school district will be looking for you to check them off.

They talked about quarterly reports, which illustrate what you’ve been teaching, and the annual assessment. There are standardized options for that or individualized options. You do have to state which one you are going to use in the third quarter assessment.

The speakers both mentioned benefits that can be derived by being part of a home school group locally and by joining bigger organizations in the state and even nationally. They mentioned that most years there are conventions where you can go get your hands on materials to check out. (Sadly, not an option this year.) However, they acknowledged the usefulness of organizations like LEAH (Loving Education at Home) and HSLDA membership so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

They touched on “teaching methods” and “learning styles,” and the plethora of homeschooling curriculums out there. They cautioned about jumping ship just because another curriculum looks good, versus really needing to change because the one you are using just isn’t working for your child.

They strongly encouraged attendees to look locally for used materials for homeschooling in order to save money. “Second hand is not second best,” I believe I heard one of them say.

Apparently there are many different types of schedule one can set up for homeschooling, from traditional Monday through Friday to year round, looped scheduling. The presenters offered a link to check out the options. https://pambarnhill.com/homeschool_schedule_options/ But I think for most of us anticipating sending our kids back to regular school next year, sticking with the more traditional schedule makes more sense.

They also provided links to local groups, including our library’s Kids Explore Homeschool Group with our own children’s librarian, Sue McConnell. Local sports opportunities were discussed, and resources were offered from books, to online pages to follow and resources to consider.

I’m sure I’ll be investigating some of them in the coming weeks and sharing which ones I find useful for supplementing my daughter’s education.

Good luck to everyone who has started their schooling year or is facing it with enthusiasm AND trepidation. I think it’s going to be a year of learning, for all of us, not just our kids.

 

 

 

Book Review: Disappearing Nightly - An Esther Diamond Novel by Laura Resnick

 

Disappearing Nightly (Esther Diamond Novel, Book 1)

by Laura Resnick

This is the just the type book I’ve long enjoyed – a paranormal screwball comedy mystery.

From Robert Asprin’s Myth series to Douglas Adams to Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series, I adore my books liberally lightened with levity. It’s a particularly important element these days.

As someone who grew up with a deep love for theater, this story also really appealed to me on that level.

“I’m not a heroine; I just play heroines. Also psychotics, orphans, hookers, housewives, and—on one memorable occasion—a singing rutabaga.”

Esther is understudy to Golly Gee in an off-Broadway musical when Golly Gee steps into the vanishing “crystal cage” and . . . actually disappears. Where did she go? Is it foul play or did she just go on the run from her creditors?

Esther is quite certain something bad happened to Golly, but she doesn’t know exactly what. Then Esther begins receiving notes from a mysterious stranger warning her not to step into Golly’s role or she may face the same dire consequences.

There is a certain over the top comedy to this book. I mean, who actually gibbers incoherently? But it’s perfect for this type of book and theatrical people.

When Esther finally realizes Max’s magical abilities are for real, Max says, “A certain agitation overwhelms most people upon being exposed to the multidimensional truths of a complex cosmos.”

Esther’s response?

“I seized his throat and throttled him.”

I highly recommend you seize this book.