We just finished season five and are into season six and I always seem to forget just how good season six is.

Let’s start with one of the best episodes of the story arc, Rocks and Shoals.

Kira, Odo, Quark, and Jake are on the station with Dukat, Damar, and Weyoun. Worf is off with Martok, and everyone else is fighting a losing war with the Dominion. Sisko et al crash a disabled Jem’Hadar ship after destroying the reserves of the drug the Jem’Hadar require.

You can’t really watch this episode without having watched most of season five and the season six opener, because almost everything important here is built upon prior events and interactions. Which is of course what makes it so good–it’s not a solitary episode, but a story which has been building for the previous two seasons.

The two main story arcs are Kira dealing with her position on the station and working with the Dominion, and the crew dealing with a crashed Jem’Hadar crew and their vorta.

Kira’s story sees her realizing that she has all but become a collaborator with the Cardassians. There are two important sequences where we see Kira walking up, looking at herself in the mirror and heading to ops to start her day. Its the second sequence, when she realizes that she cannot live with herself that is so powerful–she goes through the same motions, but it is clear that she is distressed and disturbed. It’s a perfect portrayal of her inward turmoil.

Vedek Yassim: Can’t you see what is happening to you? You’re becoming an apologist for them, a defender of evil. What will it take to make you act, Kira, to stop accepting them, and start fighting back?

Major Kira: Vedek – you just don’t understand.

Vedek Yassim: You are right, I don’t. Maybe tomorrow… we will both understand.

But the main story is the crew dealing with the Vorta and the Jem’Hadar. Sisko’s goal is to keep his crew alive, but to do so he has to deal with the Vorta who is, at best, untrustworthy.

Captain Sisko: Keevan doesn’t deserve the unwavering loyalty you’re giving him.

Remata’Klan: He does not have to earn my loyalty, Captain. He has had it from the moment I was conceived. I am a Jem’Hadar. He is a Vorta. It is the order of things.

Captain Sisko: Do you really want to give up your life for ‘the order of things’?

Remata’Klan: It is not my life to give up, Captain. And it never was.

It isn’t the first time we see Sisko doing unpalatable things for the greater good, but it’s this episode that sets the stage for what is one of the best episodes of the show, In the Pale Moonlight.

Unlike Next Generation, where everything is black and white, much of not most of DS9 is shades of grey. Sisko has to keep his deal with the Vorta to keep his crew alive and get them back to Federation space. Kira has to deal with Weyoun and Dukat to keep Bejor safe. And it’s these explorations of the grey that makes this show so good. Because regardless of what Gene Roddenberry wanted to believe, people will never be wholly good. Life will never be black and white.

People lie for good reasons: for love, for hate, for fear. Evil isn’t some over-the-top madman rubbing his hands together in maniacal glee, but a father trying to do what is best for his children and his country. Evil is small compromises made to hold things together that slowly build up into a monstrosity.

It’s what makes the show so fascinating and so very good. You can hate Dukat and see the madness in him, yet you can also see how he truly believes he is doing what is best. Some of it may be delusional, but it’s the thread of reason that makes him so fascinating and makes you understand why he does what he does, even if what he does is awful.

The other thing that makes the show so good is that the secondary characters have been build up so strongly and so well that they can easily hold their own. Garak and Nog and Dukat all have complex and interesting backstories that make them just as fascinating as the main characters.

Chief O’Brien: There are rules, Garak, even in a war.

Garak: Correction. Humans have rules in war. Rules that tend to make victory a little harder to achieve, in my opinion.

And on top of all that, the cinematography and direction in this episode are incredible. I already mentioned the scenes with Kira, but the fight scene with the Jem’Hadar is even stronger. Avery Brooks and Michael Dorn and Nan Visitor and Terry Farrell all have a tremendous physicality that is well-used, but here we see Nog and O’Brien and especially Garak in a way we rarely do–looking serious and deadly. Garak isn’t that much of a surprise, since his background is so complicated, but throughout the show we generally see O’Brien as an engineer rather than a fighter, and Nog–well, Nog has come a very long way since his first episode, and you can really see that here as well.

This is, basically, where everything came together and there isn’t a scene here I don’t love, or that doesn’t give you something.

And it’s probably, the first time we watched all seven seasons in order (very long story there) where I fell completely in love with the series.

One of the things I especially love about DS9 is how it willingly went into dark places with eyes wide open.

We just rewatched Nor the Battle to the Strong which is a favorite, even though it is one of the more difficult episodes to watch.

In the episode Jake is traveling back from a conference with Dr Bashir when they get a distress call from a colony under attack. Jake convinces Bashir that it’s more important to go help people than to get him (Jake) back safe to the station.

The situation quickly goes bad, and Jake is faced with how to deal with an attack without his father there to protect him.

In this show Jake sees precisely what triage means, he sees people die, and none of it is pretty or clean. (1) But most importantly, we Jake’s first reaction to being caught in a battle: to run away. That fear and terror is something you’d never see on the previous shows where everyone is strong and brave except for the occasional secondary character who exists simply to make everyone else look better. (2) Jake gets a second chance, but although he doesn’t run away, his fear is just as evident. He doesn’t magically become strong and brave—he remains terrified and unsure of himself. It’s a lesson very rarely seen (especially at the time the show ran): that war is loud and confusing and people don’t naturally react with bravery, and that people don’t get to walk away unscathed. (3)

I keep turning it over in my head. The shelling. Losing sight of Bashir. Running. And I keep trying to make sense of it all – to justify what I did. But when it comes down to it there’s only one explanation: I’m a coward!

As I said, it’s not an easy episode to watch, but like so many others in this show, it feels real. It’s dirty and loud and ugly and bloody and there are no easy resolutions.

More than anything, I wanted to believe what he was saying. But the truth is, I was just as scared in the hospital as I’d been when we went for the generator. So scared, that all I could think about was doing whatever it took to stay alive. Once that meant running away, and once it meant picking up a phaser.

I think what makes the show work so well is that Jake is so clearly a civilian. He has never wanted to join Starfleet, he has no training, and although he has been at the scenes of battles, he was sheltered and protected and rescued. He shouldn’t be expected to react with bravery, because in such situations he’s been trained to seek shelter and protection with other civilians.

I think Dr Bashir’s reaction is just as important, when he is berating himself for the danger Jake is in. He briefly forgets that Jake is still a teenager and doesn’t have the training he (Bashir) and the other members of Starfleet have. He may be taller now, but he’s still young. Bashir feels that he’s gotten Jake killed for that lapse, and more importantly, he doesn’t blame Jake, but reacts with concern and compassion.

Throughout the series, we see the members of the station and the Defiant constantly running battle drills—a reminder that it takes practice and work and repetition to keep things together during chaos. It says that heroism may perhaps be a state of mind, but it is also the result of hard work. That weakness and fear are just as (if not more) common and expecting otherwise is not just unrealistic, but foolish.

—

(1) These aren’t the first ugly deaths in DS9, The Ship also sees Dax, Sisko, Worf, and O’Brien watch a crewmate slowly die from his injuries because they lack proper treatment for him.

(2) Kudos to Cirroc Lofton for this episode. There was a lot to carry on his young shoulders, and he did an incredible job portraying Jake’s fear, anger, and shame.

(3) Another thing DS9 did really well was introducing secondary characters several seasons before they are killed. The character of Muniz had speaking parts in three different episodes in two different seasons before The Ship.

It is not too soon

It is entirely too late

Our original plan was the get to Canaan Thursday night and spend Friday and the weekend hiking, but when the forecast changed to rain on Saturday and overcast all Friday, we shifted things a bit so I could take pictures Thursday afternoon, and then Friday would be hiking.

We got very lucky, because instead of overcast, the weather was partially cloudy, and our hike at Dolly Sods ended up being absolutely stunning.

Location: Dolly Sods
Trails: Rocky Ridge, Blackbird Knob, Harman Trails
Distance: 4.2 miles
Elevation: 3746-4190 feet (684 ft)
Temperature: 30-41F

We’ve had a lot of odd weather this winter. For the second time this month, we had rain immediately followed by freezing temperatures and snow. When the rain fell on ground that was already freezing, it meant a lot of ice.

This was the trail we took up to Dolly Sods. It was a little more exciting than I generally prefer.

Luckily, that was the worst portion of anything we hiked, and the view was well-worth the care we had to take reaching the ridge.

Until temperatures warmed up to the mid 30s, all the trees were covered with snow and frost, and we walked through an amazing winter wonderland.

We hiked down to the Left Branch of Red Creek and then turned around. It wasn’t one of our longest hike, but stepping into the occasional drift made the hike a little more work than usual.

It once again reminded me how very lucky I am to both live in such an amazing place, and be able to get out and enjoy it.

Of course we hiked the Blackwater Trail at Canaan Valley, because it’s one of my favorite trails, and since it’s short and easy, there’s never a reason not to hike it.

I’ve been trying for as long as I’ve been hiking this trail to get a picture I liked of these stones (they are in several places). Finally, with the light coming through the winter trees and the snow lightening everything, I finally got a couple pictures I liked.

Ice sandwich!

Since the forecast for the weekend was rain rain rain rain rain, we decided to do our hiking Thursday and Friday.

Our first stop was Blackwater Falls (since its the first place we go past on our way from Morgantown).

It was beautiful. The trees were all rimmed with snow and frost and we had a lovely time wandering around enjoying the scenery.

No ice, but there was a LOT of water going over the main falls.

As well as Elekala Falls.

It took many shots and a lot of contortions to get a decent shot of this ice. But it was fascinating and beautiful.

From Pendleton point, you can see the falls below Elekala falls, which we scrambled down to last summer.

See! Gorgeous!

We’ve been re-watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine recently.

The first seasons we mostly listened to while we played on our computers, but we’ve reached the point where things are getting very interesting. And complicated

We’ve already watched several of my favorite episodes, and they’ve reminded me precisely why I love this show so very much.

Let’s start with what is, hands down, my favorite episode, The Visitor. (Chances are I’ll start crying as I write this, since I always cry when watching it.)

In the story we discover that after Sisko disappears in an accident, Jake has spent his life trying to figure out how to bring his father back. The entire story is based upon the love a son feels for his father, but what makes it so good is that you believe it. The episodes building up to this episode have all shown how close the two are, how much they mean to each other, but most importantly, how vital this relationship is to both of them.

Whenever we see the two of them together, Sisko is hugging Jake or kissing him on the head or generally treating Jake as a beloved child. We also see them bickering over typical misunderstandings. We see Jake rolling his eyes when his father tells him something Jake believes he’s outgrown. We see Jake choosing to spend time with his friend(s) over his father. And we see Jake getting into trouble and Sisko making sure he deals with the consequences of his actions.

All of which is why this episode works so well: because these are two people who very clear care about each other. I’ve read multiple reports that Avery Brooks became a father figure to Cirroc Lofton, and love that comes through clearly whenever you see the two together on the screen.

But more importantly, they are written as a father and son. One of the things that irritated me most about ST:TNG is that I never believed the parent-child relationship between Dr Crusher and Wesley. I don’t blame that on the acting of the two, but upon the writing of the scenes. It’s like they made an idealized parent-child relationship that had no bearing on any reality ever.

However, in DS9 not only do you have a strong relationship between Jake and his father, but we also see O’Brien doting on Molly (I love the scene where she throws up on him (Fascination)) and Keiko and Miles having the typical arguments you see in strong marriages—and how they work past those problems.

The show has multiple families that behave like families: they bicker and nag and whine yet very obviously care for each other.

We get the same feeling when we see other family members of other characters: when Sisko visits earth, his relationship with his father (Brock Peters) is very similar to his relationship with Jake. He nags his father about his health. His father gripes about the nagging, yet we still see the affection.

Even more complex is an episode we haven’t re-watched yet, which is Bashir’s interactions with his parents. That’s another favorite episode, because that relationship is so very complicated, yet it still feels completely real—that actual parents would behave as Bashir’s parents did, sacrificing to give their son the best they could. And what is even more interesting is that complexity is glimpsed long before we meet those characters are learn about Bashir’s past. We see it in a throw-away line in season 4’s Homefront: O’Brien asks Odo to check on his parents, and when Odo asks Bashir if he would like him to check up on anyone, Bashir looks extremely uncomfortable and declines politely.

Even the relationship between Nog, Quark, and Rom matures as the show progresses and Rom steps out from his brother’s shadow, and although the initial episode with their mother is not one I particularly like, we still see complicated relationships between the three. And I adore the scene where Rom realizes Quark has sabotaged Nog’s Academy entrance exam. As well as the scene where Nog breaks down while explaining to Sisko why he wants to go to the Academy.

These are all characters who have depth and pasts and wants and needs and even if you don’t always see them on the surface, you still know they’re there. As flat as someone of these characters were in the first season, they all develop and grow and become far more than they first seem.

All of which means I ended up caring very much what happened to these characters, feeling their hurts and also feeling their joys.

It’s also one of the reasons why so many years later this show is still as relevant and touching as it was when it first came out.

I’ve been thinking recently about social responsibility and the social contract.

It’s that time of year, so there are lots of people complaining about paying taxes, and bragging about how they manipulate things so they pay a minimum tax bill.

There are also a lot of people who insist on buying only things that are cheap: never pay full price, never buy quality goods.

Why do I think this is an issue? Because that is socially irresponsible and it breaks the social contract.

First, let’s clarify what I’m talking about.

Social contract:
1. the voluntary agreement among individuals by which, according to any of various theories, as of Hobbes, Locke, or Rousseau, organized society is brought into being and invested with the right to secure mutual protection and welfare or to regulate the relations among its members.
2. an agreement for mutual benefit between an individual or group and the government or community as a whole.

When we are part of society, we have implicitly agreed to follow certain rules and regulations that allow large groups of people to function without descending into chaos. We don’t steal, we don’t murder, and we treat fairly with each other.

But the social contract is more than that. In a moral and ethical society, it means we care for those who cannot care for themselves. For example, it’s why we have special legal protections for children.

It also means there are some things that are better managed by the government than by individuals and private companies: law enforcement, roads, and public safety come immediately to mind.

Taxes are the way we pay for these societal needs. If you don’t pay taxes, or attempt to shirk this duty, then you are taking advantage of your fellow citizens.

Let me be clear: I don’t mind paying a little extra to make up for the elderly widow who has minimal income. I don’t mind paying a little extra to cover the single parent trying to make ends meet. These are the things we do in a moral society.

What I do mind is people who can pay their way refusing to do so.

When people scheme to get out of paying their way in society, they are refusing to pay for the roads they drive on, the police that protect them, and the schools that educate future generations.

When people who have the ability to do otherwise choose to spend their money on the cheapest things available, they are making things worse for everyone else.

When people who have the ability to do otherwise buy the cheapest items available, it means they are driving down wages for those who make those goods.

They are supporting sweatshops.
They are forcing farmers to hire illegal immigrants.
They are requiring a minimum wage that is not a living wage.
They are forcing those at the bottom to struggle to pay their rent and put food on the table.
They are forcing those at the bottom to live in substandard and even dangerous housing.
They are encouraging a disposable society, where things are used briefly and discarded.

To make things worse, many of the people who purchase goods at prices lower than the cost of US production are the same people who are against providing any benefits whatsoever to the working poor.

They fail to understand the basics of TANSTAAFL.

We can’t have roads without taxes.
We can’t have schools without taxes.
We can’t have clean water without taxes.
We can’t have safe food without taxes.
We can’t have public health without taxes.

When people insist that the cost of goods remain low, the price still must be paid, but it is paid by those who manufacture and harvest and serve.

The mutilations and deaths of those in the meatpacking industries.
The injuries and deaths of farm workers.
The spread of food-borne illnesses.
Child labor.
A culture and conditions where poor working women are at constant risk for rape and sexual assault.

But what really makes me angry is when those who refuse to pay their taxes, and refuse to support businesses that pay a living wage, profess piety and claim the mantle of Christianity to hide their immoral and unethical behaviors.

Here’s the thing: I was forced to take six years of religion classes in school, and have had more than a passing interest in comparative theology as an adult, so I have more than a basic familiarity with the bible and the tenets of Christianity.

The bible speaks of caring for the poor and the sick. Of helping those in need and forgiving your enemies.

Nowhere does it claim that the poor need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Nowhere does it say that caring for your neighbors is the responsibility of someone else.

Nowhere does it say that we should care for only the people like ourselves, and let the rest of the world sort itself out.

In fact, the bible speaks quite clearly on the subject of paying the taxes.

Matthew 22:17-21 (KJV)
17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

If you choose to weasel out of the social contract, that’s fine. We have free will and are allowed to make our own decisions. But don’t expect me to respect you.

And don’t claim to be a Christian.

TA DA!

1) How is the first month of 2018 over already?!
2) We had several beautiful weekends and so managed to get out and hike. Huzzah!

The best books of the month were pretty much old favorites. I’ve been re-reading Rising Stars, which is one of my favorite comics. There are mature themes, so older teens only. But aside from kids, I wish everyone would read this series. Something happens, and a small group of kids end up with amazing, never-before-seen powers, and this story is of both those individuals and how society reacts to them. It’s amazing and heart-breaking and wonderful.

And if you haven’t come across them, I do recommend Anna Lee Huber‘s Lady Darby series. They are historical mysteries, featuring an artist who learned about the human body when her previous husband forced her to illustrate his anatomy books by drawing his dissections.

The others were two Robert B. Parker books, narrated by Burt Reynolds. (Beware: after being converted to digital, the production is awful) Small Vices is one of my all-time favorite books. Although the mystery is good, the story itself, as a whole, is what I love, especially the months that Spenser spends in California. This isn’t an action-packed book (although there is action), it’s a story about friendship and recover and (most of all) hard work. When I’ve struggled, this is the book I’ve turned to remind myself that hard work can bring you out the other side. You’ll be different, but you can make it out the other side.

Supernatural Fantasy

Dead Man Walking: A country house murder mystery with a supernatural twist (2016) Simon R Green (7.5/10)
Silence Fallen (2017) Patricia Briggs (7.5/10)

Mystery

The Pyramid of Mud (2014/2018) Andrea Camilleri translated by Stephen Sartarelli (7/10)

Historical Mystery

Lady Darby
A Study in Death (2015) Anna Lee Huber (9/10)
As Death Draws Near (2016) Anna Lee Huber (8/10)
A Pressing Engagement (2016) Anna Lee Huber
Miss Marple
At Bertram’s Hotel (1966) Agatha Christie (7/10)
Barker & Llewellyn
The Black Hand (2008) Will Thomas (7/10)

Romantic Mystery

Devil May Care (1977) Elizabeth Peters (7/10)
Die for Love (1984) Elizabeth Peters (6.5/10)
Into the Darkness (1990) Barbara Michaels (6.5/10)

Graphic Novel

Rising Stars, Vol. 2: Power  (2002) by J. Michael Straczynski, Ken Lashley, Christian Zanier, Stuart Immonen, Brent Anderson, John Livesay, Brett Evans, Dan Kemp (9/10)

Rising Stars, Vol. 1: Born In Fire  (2001) J. Michael Straczynski, Jason Gorder, Keu Cha, Christian Zanier (9/10)

Audible Books

Spenser
Small Vices, Audible Version (1997) Robert B. Parker narrated by Burt Reynolds (9/10)
Hush Money, Audio Version (1999/2000) Robert B. Parker narrated by Burt Reynolds (8.5/10)
Sudden Mischief (1998) Robert B. Parker narration mangled by William Windom

OK! The stats! (HUZZAH!)

Trade Paperback: 2
eBook: 11
Audio: 3
Multiple Formats: 2
Re-read: 8

Half re-reads this month, mostly because of the posts I wrote up about books I love, I then remembered that I really needed to re-read a bunch of books.

Two trade paperbacks this month, because as much as I love ebooks, I prefer comics on paper. Probably because my screens are too small to see a whole page and read the text, which is a much better way for me to read comics.

Fantasy: 4
Mystery: 13
Romance: 3
Comic: 2

Mostly mysteries this month. Who knows why my brain wants what it wants. Not me. (The three romances were also mysteries.)

Male: 8
Female: 8

And we start the year with an even split between male and female authors.

And those are the books of January!

It had warmed up by the time we made it to New River Gorge, but there was still snow, and it was still beautiful.

We hadn’t been to endless wall in the winter before, so I was surprised to see 1) how close we actually were to the ground and 2) the shape of the underlying mountains.

With the leaf fall, you can see across the river to the Kaymoor Miners Trail and old Kaymoor Mine site.

If you zoom in on this picture, you can more clearly see the 821 steps down to the railroad tracks.

Here is the bottom of the site and you can see the decayed buildings and ghosts of the railroad tracks.

The trail itself is a relatively easy and has an amazing payoff.

We wandered off trail a bit to explore the creek.

We were originally heading to Cranberry Glades when I realized how beautiful the morning was, and that Babcock State Park would most likely be beautiful, so we stayed on 19 and were well-rewarded.

We didn’t hike much, just walked around finding the places I thought would be most beautiful.

Since we’d had a cold snap after the rains, and since temps were supposed to start rising, we took Friday to travel to Blackwater Falls in hopes that the falls were frozen.

It hadn’t bee cold enough to freeze the falls completely, but there was still a fair amount of ice.

Why yes, I did ignore the “Closed” sign and went down the stairs.

For this view? It was worth it. (Plus, I was very careful.)

Pretty!

We also went down to Elakala Falls.

Let me be clear, the scramble down is never especially easy, but in the winter, especially after a lot of rain and then a snap freeze, the path is treacherous.

We wore Yaktrax, because I know very well how clumsy I am.

But it was well worth it.

Because it was already warming up, water was starting to trickle down the icicles.

We also went to Canaan Valley SP.

I mentioned that earlier we’d had rain and then a quick freeze earlier. I hadn’t quite thought about how that would affect this boggy, marshy area.

What happened is that the low areas flooded, and then froze. So any low-lying ground ended up covered in ice.

Normally we’ll walk out to the end of this bit of land, but the path was solid ice–and slippery. So we just looked (it wasn’t worth the view to pull out and put on the Yaktrax). It was pretty amazing.

If you look closely at this picture, you’ll see that a layer of ice formed on the grass, several inches above the ground.

It was a wonderful day, and I’m glad we were able to get away to enjoy it.

What is all this about books for kids?

These are both YA books and some straight-up fantasy that is perfectly acceptable for younger readers. Some of these books have difficult subject matter, such as sexual assault or the acknowledgement of boinking, so know your small person before buying.

I’ve read the books listed here, although it’s been awhile since I read some of these, if you click on an author’s name, it should take you to my page for that author, and any reviews I’ve written about their books.

See also this YA list.

Josephine Angelini : Starcrossed (2011) (Female) (Fantasy)

Susan Bischoff:
Talent Chronicles: Hush Money (2010), Impulse Control (2011), Heroes ‘Til Curfew (2011) (Fantasy)

What happens when kids suddenly develop special abilities that border on the supernatural? The government declares it a public safety issue and takes those kids into “custody”. A more adult series along this line is Rising Stars by J. Michael Straczynski.

I already knew it had happened again.

Not like I’m psychic, not really, but you don’t have to have any special mental Talent to see the signs…if you’re paying attention.

Stacy Scarpelli had had her hand in the air for, like, five minutes. Eventually she was doing that thing where you lean one elbow on the desk, and your other elbow in your hand, like you’re going to collapse from the exhaustion of trying to get the teacher’s attention. But the teacher was paying attention. She was paying a lot of attention to checking off names on the roll; or supposedly taking roll, but totally not looking at that whole side of the room where Stacy was flinging her hand limply about on her wrist.

Patty Blount: Send (2012)

Dan and his family have changed their names and moved to a new town. When he was thirteen, Dan (then Kenny) was accused of bullying a classmate in an incident that caused the other boy to commit suicide. After spending almost a year in juvenile detention, he came home, only to have his entire family driven out of their home by their neighbors, and the father of the boy he killed came after Kenny with a metal bat, in an attempt to kill him.

For several years, the family moved from town to town, but still the father of the boy who died would find them, and threaten and harass him.

So he’s starting his senior year of high school hoping to keep his head down and graduate.

Unfortunately, the first thing he sees when he pulls into the parking lot of the school is a skinny nerd being attacked by a huge jock.

Libba Bray: A Great and Terrible Beauty (2003) (Female)

It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one.

To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?

Kristin Cashore: Graceling (2009) (Female) (Fantasy)

IN THESE DUNGEONS the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind. One that had so far proven correct, as Oll’s maps tended to do. Katsa ran her hand along the cold walls and counted doors and passageways as she went. Turning when it was time to turn; stopping finally before an opening that should contain a stairway leading down. She crouched and felt forward with her hands. There was a stone step, damp and slippery with moss, and another one below it. This was Oll’s staircase, then. She only hoped that when he and Giddon followed her with their torches, they would see the moss slime, tread carefully, and not waken the dead by clattering headlong down the steps.

David Eddings:
The Belgariad: Pawn of the Prophecy (1982), Queen of Sorcery (1982), Magician’s Gambit (1983), Castle of Wizardry (1984), Enchanter’s End Game (1984) (Fantasy)

This series is comfort reading for me, the books I turn to when life gets dark and I need to escape. (Silk is my favorite.)

“I’m sorry to have missed him,” Silk said. “I wish I had the leisure to look him up.”

“I can’t for my life think why,” the farmer said bluntly. “To be honest with you, I didn’t care much for your friend.”

“I’m not overfond of him myself,” Silk agreed, “but the truth is that he owes me some money . I could quite easily do without Brill’s companionship, but I’m lonesome for the money, if you take my meaning.”

The Malloreon: Guardian of the West (1987), King of the Murgos (1988), Demon Lord of Karanda (1988), Sorceress of Darshiva (1989), The Seeress of Kell (1991) (Fantasy)

Jennifer Estep:
Mythos Academy: First Frost (2011), Touch of Frost (2011), Kiss of Frost (2011), Dark Frost (2012) (Female) (Fantasy)

Raymond E. Feist:
Riftwar Saga: Magician: Apprentice (1982), Magician: Master (1982), Silverthorn (1985), A Darkness At Sethanon (1986) (Fantasy)
The Empire Series, written with Janny Wurts: Daughter of the Empire (1987), Servant of the Empire (1990), Mistress of the Empire (1992) (Female) (Fantasy)

A.C. Gaughen: Scarlet (2012)

No one really knows ’bout me. I’m Rob’s secret, I’m his informant, I’m his shadow in dark places. No one ever takes me for more than a knockabout lad, a whip of a boy. They never really see. And I don’t mind that they don’t see. Like, when you walk through a room full of big men drunk off their skulls, it ain’t so bad to be ignored.

C.C. Hunter:
Shadowfalls: Turned at Dark: A Bonus Shadow Falls Short Story (2011), Born at Midnight (2011), Awake at Dawn (2011), Taken at Dusk (2012), Whispers at Moonrise (2012), Saved at Sunrise (2013) (Female) (Fantasy)

Kylie is having what is justifiably the worst day ever.

On top of losing her favorite grandmother and her boyfriend breaking up with her, she comes home from school to discover that her parents are getting divorced. In fact, her father is throwing clothes in a suitcase and storming out.

Plus, her night terrors have returned.

In an effort to take a break from all the crap in her life, Kylie goes to a party. Unfortunately, it ends up being the wrong party, and now she’s being shipped off to a camp for troubled youth.

Could things get any worse?

Yup. The camp is for supernatural youth. As far as Kylie is concerned, she doesn’t have any special powers, but the counselors are convinced she does, and they’re the cause of her night terrors.

I really like this series. The characters are complex and the adults are not idiots.

Ellen Kushner: The Privilege of the Sword (2006) (Female)

Katherine’s family has always been on the edge of financial solvency, and the continual lawsuits by her uncle, the Mad Duke Tremontaine don’t help. So it’s a blessing for everyone when the Mad Duke offers to forgive the Talbert debt–as well as settling a sum of money on the family–if only Katherine will come live with him and study the sword–it’s an offer her mother can’t refuse.

This is a sequel of sorts to one of my favorite books, Swordspoint. Be aware, there is sexual assault in this story.

Mercedes Lackey:
The Last Herald Mage: Magic’s Pawn (1989), Magic’s Promise (1990), Magic’s Price (1990)
Vows and Honor: The Oathbound (1988), Oathbreakers (1989), Oathblood (1998), By the Sword (1991)
The Heralds of Valdemar: Arrows of the Queen (1987), Arrow’s Flight (1987), Arrow’s Fall (1988)
Mage Winds: Winds of Fate (1991), Winds of Change(1993), Winds of Fury (1993)
Mage Storms: Storm Warning (1994), Storm Rising (1995), Storm Breaking (1996)
Mage Wars: The Black Gryphon (1994), The White Gryphon (1995), The Silver Gryphon (1996)

Robin LaFevers:
His Fair Assassin: Grave Mercy (2012) (Female) (Fantasy)

Lish McBride:
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, (2010), Necromancer: A Novella (2011), Necromancing the Stone (2012) (Fantasy)
Burnt Sugar (2014), Firebug (2014) (Female) (Fantasy)

I stood in front of today’s schedule still holding my skateboard, still drenched from the ride over, and still desperately wishing that I hadn’t dropped out of college. But wishing wouldn’t erase Sam from the counter slot and rewrite it under the grill slot. No matter what, my job kind of sucks, but on the grill it sucks less. On the grill, you don’t have to handle customers. Something about the fast food uniform makes people think it’s okay to treat you like crap. Personally, I’m always polite to anyone who handles my food. There are lots of horrible things that can be done to your meal before it gets to your plate.

Sam is a very good character, and I especially like the bits about what living on minimum wage is like.

Robin McKinley: Sunshine (2003) (Female) (Fantasy)

It is the strength of the element in you that makes you more able to resist— and simultaneously embrace— its opposite. You are not consumed by the dark because you are full of light.

Dennis L. McKiernan:
The Iron Tower Trilogy: The Dark Tide (1984), Shadows of Doom (1984), The Darkest Day (1984)
The Silver Call Duology: Trek to Kraggen-Cor (1986), The Brega Path (1986)
Hel’s Crucible Duology: Into the Forge (1997), Into the Fire (1998)
Tales from Mithgar (1994), The Eye of the Hunter (1992), Voyage of the Fox Rider (1993), The Dragonstone (1996), Silver Wolf, Black Falcon (2001), Red Slippers (2004)

Sharyn November:
Anthologies: Firebirds (2003)

Cotillion – Delia Sherman
The Baby In The Night Deposit Box – Megan Whalen Turner
Beauty – Sherwood Smith
Mariposa – Nancy Springer
Max Mondrosch – Lloyd Alexander
The Fall Of Ys – Meredith Ann Pierce
Medusa – Michael Cadnum
The Black Fox – Emma Bull ; Illustrations By Charles Vess
Byndley – Patricia A. Mckillip
The Lady Of The Ice Garden – Kara Dalkey
Hope Chest – Garth Nix
Chasing The Wind – Elizabeth E. Wein
Little Dot – Diana Wynne Jones
Remember Me – Nancy Farmer
Flotsam – Nina Kiriki Hoffman
The Flying Woman – Laurel Winter

Firebirds Rising (2006)

Huntress – Tamora Pierce
Unwrapping – Nina Kiriki Hoffman
The Real Thing – Alison Goodman
Little (Grrl) Lost – Charles de Lint
I’ll Give you My Word – Diana Wynn Jones
In the House of the Seven Librarians – Ellen Klages
Wintermoon Wish – Sharon Shinn
The Wizards of Perfil – Kelly Link
Jack O’Lantern – Patricia A. McKillip
Quill – Carol Emshwiller
Blood Roses – Francesca Lia Block
Hives – Kara Dalkey
Perception – Alan Dean Foster
The House on the Planet – Tanith Lee
Cousins – Pamela Dean
What Used to be Good Still Is – Emma Bull

Firebirds Soaring (2009) (Fantasy)

Kingmaker – Nancy Springer
A Ticket to Ride – Nancy Farmer
A Thousand Tails – Christopher Barzak
All Under Heaven – Chris Roberson
Singing On a Star – Ellen Klages
Egg Magic – Louise Marley
Flatland – Kara Dalkey
Dolly the Dog-Soldier – Candas Jane Dorsey
Ferryman – Margo Lanagan
The Ghosts of Strangers – Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Twilight Tales – Jo Walton
The Dignity He’s Due – Carol Emshwiller
Power and Magic – Marly Youmans
Courtship – Sherwood Smith
Little Red – Jane Yolen & Adam Stemple
The Myth of Fenix – Laurel Winter
Fear and Loathing in Lalanna – Nick O’Donohoe
Bone-Chewer’s Legacy – Clare Bell
Something Worth Doing – Elizabeth E. Wein

NYX:
Wannabe (2006), No Way Home (2009)

Kiden had a normal life once. But it all fell apart. Then, when things are at their absolute worst, she discovers she has powers. Unfortunately for her, it seems to cause as much harm as good. Over the course of the story she meets up with three other mutants, and they try to work they way out of the trouble they’re all in.

Cherie Priest:
Boneshaker (2009), Clementine (2010) (Fantasy)

Princess Ugg:
Princess Ugg Vol. 1 (2014), Princess Ugg Vol. 2 (2015) (Female)

Princess Ülga isn’t your standard princess, but her royal lineage goes back for generations. At her mother’s bequest, Ülga travels to the city-state of Atraeska, where the prestigious Princess Academy lies, so that she can learn about things like diplomacy-hopefully for the benefit of her rough and tumble people.

This is another series I really liked. Especially since the characters who initially seem one note grow in complexity.

Sharon Shinn: General Winston’s Daughter (2007) (Female)

Averie is headed to Chiarrin, where her father and betrothed are with the army, which is currently seeking to make the area part of its empire.

On the trip over Averie makes friends with Lieutenant Du’Kai, a Xan’tai member of the Aerberelle Army. This means only that as a member of a conquered territory he can gain only the rank of Captain, but is otherwise an acceptable dinner companion for Lady Averie, although Averie’s chaperone Lady Selkirk is at first unsure as to the propriety of this. But the journey is long and Du’Kirk is a charming companion, so they soon all end up looking forward to the dinners.

Catherynne M. Valente:
The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland–for a Little While (2011), The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (2011) (Fantasy)

“When you are born,” the golem said softly, “your courage is new and clean. You are brave enough for anything: crawling off staircases, saying your first words without fearing that someone will think you are foolish, putting strange things in your mouth. But as you get older, your courage attracts gunk and crusty things and dirt and fear and knowing how bad things can get and what pain feels like. By the time you’re half-grown, your courage barely moves at all, it’s so grunged up with living.

Tammara Webber: Easy (2012)

As tonight’s designated driver, it was my responsibility to get Erin back to our dorm across campus in one unmangled piece, whether or not I could stand another minute of the party. My message told her to call or text when she was ready to go. The way she and her boyfriend, Chaz, had been tequila-soaked dirty dancing before they linked hands and tripped up the stairs to his room, she might not be calling me until tomorrow. I chuckled over the thought of the short walk of shame she’d endure from the front porch to my truck, if so.

Be aware that this story deals with sexual assault.

Janny Wurts (with Raymond E. Feist): Daughter of the Empire (1987), Servant of the Empire (1990), Mistress of the Empire (1992) (Female) (Fantasy)

X-23:
Innocence Lost (2006), Target X (2007) (Female) (Fantasy)
Chaos Theory (2012), Don’t Look Back (2012) (Female) (Fantasy)

X-23 is created in a scientific lab after experiments with Wolverine with terribly wrong. The story follows her from the failed experiments to her creation through her training. We also catch glimpses of the pasts of the two scientists most responsible for her creation, and how they came to create X-23.

X-23 is hands down my favorite X-Men character.

December 11, 1964

…A second evil which plagues the modern world is that of poverty. Like a monstrous octopus, it projects its nagging, prehensile tentacles in lands and villages all over the world. Almost two-thirds of the peoples of the world go to bed hungry at night. They are undernourished, ill-housed, and shabbily clad. Many of them have no houses or beds to sleep in. Their only beds are the sidewalks of the cities and the dusty roads of the villages. Most of these poverty-stricken children of God have never seen a physician or a dentist. This problem of poverty is not only seen in the class division between the highly developed industrial nations and the so-called underdeveloped nations; it is seen in the great economic gaps within the rich nations themselves. Take my own country for example. We have developed the greatest system of production that history has ever known. We have become the richest nation in the world. Our national gross product this year will reach the astounding figure of almost 650 billion dollars. Yet, at least one-fifth of our fellow citizens – some ten million families, comprising about forty million individuals – are bound to a miserable culture of poverty. In a sense the poverty of the poor in America is more frustrating than the poverty of Africa and Asia. The misery of the poor in Africa and Asia is shared misery, a fact of life for the vast majority; they are all poor together as a result of years of exploitation and underdevelopment. In sad contrast, the poor in America know that they live in the richest nation in the world, and that even though they are perishing on a lonely island of poverty they are surrounded by a vast ocean of material prosperity. Glistening towers of glass and steel easily seen from their slum dwellings spring up almost overnight. Jet liners speed over their ghettoes at 600 miles an hour; satellites streak through outer space and reveal details of the moon. President Johnson, in his State of the Union Message12, emphasized this contradiction when he heralded the United States’ “highest standard of living in the world”, and deplored that it was accompanied by “dislocation; loss of jobs, and the specter of poverty in the midst of plenty”.

So it is obvious that if man is to redeem his spiritual and moral “lag”, he must go all out to bridge the social and economic gulf between the “haves” and the “have nots” of the world. Poverty is one of the most urgent items on the agenda of modern life…

…The time has come for an all-out world war against poverty. The rich nations must use their vast resources of wealth to develop the underdeveloped, school the unschooled, and feed the unfed. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for “the least of these”. Deeply etched in the fiber of our religious tradition is the conviction that men are made in the image of God and that they are souls of infinite metaphysical value, the heirs of a legacy of dignity and worth. If we feel this as a profound moral fact, we cannot be content to see men hungry, to see men victimized with starvation and ill health when we have the means to help them. The wealthy nations must go all out to bridge the gulf between the rich minority and the poor majority.

In the final analysis, the rich must not ignore the poor because both rich and poor are tied in a single garment of destiny. All life is interrelated, and all men are interdependent. The agony of the poor diminishes the rich, and the salvation of the poor enlarges the rich. We are inevitably our brothers’ keeper because of the interrelated structure of reality…