Darlene's Digest

Yes, it's that time again. Time to dig out the snowboots, retrieve the down coat and keep a weather eye open for blizzards. Boskone 55  ( February 16-18, 2018 ) in Boston, MA is New England's longest running science fiction and fantasy convention. I've been attending since 2003 when I sent a son up north to school and thought it would be nice to pop in on him and have a fun weekend filled with discussions of books, film, art, music, games, and more.  Naturally, there was a blizzard that weekend and we were snowed in at our hotel. That particular Boskone is remembered as "Snokone", but we still gather each President's Day weekend and I have to admit, it's a lot of fun. Kudos to the Program Committee for putting together a great range of activities and panels.  Here's my schedule, and I'm humbled to be surrounded by such talented panelists. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey Format: Panel 16 Feb 2018, Friday 17:00 - 18:00 , Marina 4 (Westi...

Michael's Wings by Tiffany Reisz My rating: 5 of 5 stars Another winner from erotica author Reisz, but as the author points out in the beginning, this collection of short stories is best appreciated by readers who're familiar with her The Original Sinners series, especially ones who've read The Siren . Michael and Griffin are lovers but as with the best love stories, it's complicated. This collection follows them on part of their journey and Reisz brings her usual heat, sensitivity and humor to the writing. One laugh-out-loud moment was a discussion regarding the card game Cards Against Humanity: "Remember he won the game on the 'How did I lose my virginity?' card." "Answer: The Make-A-Wish Foundation." If you like heated BDSM scenes, snark and romance then the Original Sinners may be for you. On the other hand, if you're turned off by relationships with multiple partners and sexual hookups that get so ...

I'm re-reading one of my favorite Florida histories, James Branch Cabell's The St. Johns; A Parade of Diversities   and enjoying it all over again. This is one of my favorite quotes, and it seems timely: "Andrew Jackson, that idolized heckler for the unshaved frontier, who was now beginning to dominate the United States as an epitome of their national failings...." It really is an entertaining history, well worth tracking down in a used bookstore.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss My rating: 5 of 5 stars This was a cracking good tale! Half the fun was identifying the 19th C. tales of the fantastic that are referenced: Rappaccini’s Daughter, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Frankenstein, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Cornish Giant, The Prisoner of Zenda and The Island of Dr. Moreau are some of the stories mentioned as wonderful plot points. But at its heart, The Alchemist’s Daughter is The League of Extraordinary Gentlewomen (along with a token male, one Mr. Holmes), sisters brought together by circumstances. They’re not all exactly human, but they share a common need to be accepted, part of a family. Mary Jekyll, a conventional London spinster, uncovers a mystery following her mother’s death, a near feral young woman named Diana Hyde who claims to be her sister. From there the mysteries grow and expand as they meet others connected to Mary and...

There's something poignant about retiring your hiking boots. These Mephistos have served me well over more than 25 years. They've trekked from the winding streets of Edinburgh to the ramparts of Masada, from the heights of Hawaii's Big Island to the depths of a North Florida cave, from the California coast to Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the Australian Outback. These Nubuck beauties were re-soled three times, got new laces more than once, and are still in good shape. However, technology has advanced over the decades and it's time to replace them with 21st century hiking boots, boots that are waterproof, boots that weigh less. Sure, I could still wear them on weekends and for casual walks, but there are people who need them more than I do. That's why I'm donating these boots and some of the hiking socks to our local homeless program. Shoes and warm socks, as well as packages of unworn underwear, are some of the greatest needs for people on the street. When the sea...

A Taste of Honey by Rose Lerner My rating: 4 of 5 stars One of the more common tropes in historical romance is the aristos leaving tradesmen's bills unpaid because a gentleman always pays gambling debts to another gentlemen, but hoi polloi have to wait their turn. But if you're one of those tradesmen you could be one bad debt away from bankruptcy or debtor's prison yourself. You had to put up the capital to fund your venture, unpaid bills mean you can't pay your creditors. I hadn't planned on this being a screed on market economics, but part of what I enjoyed most about A Taste of Honey was its focus on ordinary people with businesses to run and bills to pay rather than the ton , bakers and shopgirls instead of dukes and countesses. We met Robert Moon earlier in the Lively St. Lemeston saga, but now he gets his own story, and it's as hot and sweet as cakes fresh from the oven. Be warned, if you're dieting this book will ...

A Queen from the North: A Royal Roses Book by Erin McRae My rating: 4 of 5 stars I enjoyed this alternate history spin on The War of the Roses very much, as it combined the best of The Crown with some intriguing characters in a world similar to ours, but not exactly the same. In the Unified Kingdom of Britain the Lancasters hold sway, and have since Richard III was defeated. York is a backwater with a huge chip on its shoulder, Ireland is an independent kingdom and the Commonwealth is pushing back at edicts from London. America as a nation does get mentioned, so one presumes there was a revolution. Enter Lady Amelia, staunch daughter of Yorkists, who catches the eye of the Prince of Wales. Their relationship has all the earmarks of a marriage of convenience uniting North and South, and there's a paranormal element as well. I wanted to give it 4.5 stars. While I understood the circumstances preventing the protagonists from talking to one another,...

One of my few regrets about living in Gainesville for my adult life is its distance from the ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Granted, it's the place to be during hurricane season (or as I told more than one concerned friend during Irma, "We're the place Floridians evacuate to , not from "), but I miss being close to the sand and the sea, especially the Gulf. I grew up in SW Florida and spent many days at Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and Fort Myers beaches. When our children were small we often vacationed at Clearwater beach or with the grandparents in Fort Myers. Now, though, I don't get over there as much as I'd like. However, since my son married into a Yankee family that likes to come south in the winter, we're spending the end of the year at Siesta Key. This was our third visit to the son's in-laws and we opted to stay for a week and really make a vacation of it. We had a charming, rustic Old Florida cottage on the Intracoastal Waterway and e...