Light From Uncommon Stars

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As a child, Madden lived a life of extravagance, from her exclusive private school to her equestrian trophies and designer shoe-brand name. But under the surface was a wild instability. The only child of parents continually battling drug and alcohol addictions, Madden confronted her environment alone. Facing a culture of assault and objectification, she found lifelines in the desperately loving friendships of fatherless girls. There is more about music in Light from Uncommon Stars than can be detailed in a single review; it is the bass note, the driving force of the novel, the cause of redemption, the cause of damnation, and the raison d’être of many characters. There are enough details about musical technique, music history, and lutherie in it to delight everyone from the entirely uninitiated to the classically trained. Aoki is an anti-snob. For her, aesthetic experience inheres not in the rarity of its object, but in the self-evident pleasurableness of an experience itself. Shizuka, an expert in classical violin, does not sneer when she discovers Katrina’s love of video game music; in fact, she appreciates it almost immediately. When Shizuka and Lan share an intimate moment, Shizuka hums a melody.

Of course, I understood there was no chance that Shizuka was going to consign Katrina’s soul to hell. It is very much not that kind of book. I knew that the trajectory of the book was going to ensure that Shizuka and the other characters would take good care of Katrina. (Would love to get that kid into trauma-focused therapy btw.) And they do, of course. Better yet, they foster her career with affection and respect, and Shizuka follows Katrina’s lead in their teacher/student relationship, helping her play video game theme music when she’s feeling it and Bartók when she’s feeling that. The point in either case isn’t for Katrina to play this piece or that piece, but rather to be connected to her work. Xiang is convinced this map could lead to the fabled treasure. Captivated with the thrill of adventure, she joins Anh and her motley crew off in pursuit of the island. But the girls soon find that the sea—and especially those who sail it—are far more dangerous than the legends led them to believe. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki is published by Tor Books and is currently available wherever books are sold.

Light From Uncommon Stars

Six months later, Noah’s life has gotten significantly more complicated. On top of being autistic in a world that doesn’t try to understand him, he still hunts vampires for a living…while dating a vampire himself. Awkward. Yet Jordan Cross is sweet and kind, and after braving their inner demons and Jordan’s vicious partner together, Noah wouldn’t trade him for the world. James Davis Nicoll on Five SF Visions of Society Free From Rules, Regulations, or Effective Government 2 hours ago In it, she had written that she was sorry, that she wished she’d never been born, that she didn’t want to make them angry, and that she’d never bother them again. That part was true. A picture of Mr. and Mrs. Thamavuong still hung on the wall. They had acquired Starrgate in 1979. At the time, it was known as El Monte Donuts. The Thamavuongs sold classic, American-style donuts made with happiness and care. And, in the ’80s, video games became popular, so the Thamavuongs brought them into their store.

Part historical fiction, part magical realism, and 100 percent adventure. Thirteen-year-old Mei reimagines the myths of Paul Bunyan as starring a Chinese heroine while she works in a Sierra Nevada logging camp in 1885. Edwin! Windee! Didn’t I tell you not to run in the halls? Your brother is tuning the warp field. And why aren’t you at your posts?” A story that sparkles with magic and music and joy; this book just sings." - Everina Maxwell, author of Winter's OrbitBy the light of her phone, Katrina applied concealer around her eye and to her cheek. It would be better not to face the world with visible bruises. Then, one night after a party, Dave and Nandan hook up, which was not part of the plan—especially because Nandan has never been into guys. Still, Dave’s cool, and Nandan’s willing to give it a shot, even if that means everyone starts to see him differently.