Review: Star Trek: Voyager: Protectors

Cover Summary:

Following the destruction of four fleet vessels at the hands of the Omega Continuum, the U.S.S. Voyager and U.S.S. Demeter set course for a region of the Delta Quadrant far beyond anything previously explored. Captain Chakotay is determined to prove to Starfleet Command that the fleet's ongoing mission is vital to Federation interests . . . and the key to doing so may lie in a distress call Voyager received nine years earlier but could not investigate.

Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway is recalled to the Alpha Quadrant for an evaluation period to determine her next assignment. Given the trauma she has recently endured, Admiral Akaar, Starfleet's commander in chief, is questioning Janeway's fitness to command the fleet. Janeway's primary concern remains the fleet's safety; for their mission to continue, she must find a way to secure the resources they require. But the uncertainty of her superior officers has left her powerless to act in their best interests.

Kirsten Beyer’s latest installment in the Star Trek: Voyager series does not disappoint; quite the opposite. Like their characters, these books go above and beyond the call of duty, delivering not only the exciting space battles, exotic aliens and heartwarming idealism at the base of the Star Trek franchise, but also highly nuanced, thoughtful, and compassionate characterization, of OC’s (even minor ones) as well as characters from the show. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who hasn’t read the previous volumes, as there are dozens of side characters and subplots to catch up on; let alone a working knowledge of the TV series, which is essential. If you haven’t heard of the starship stranded 70, 000 lightyears from home, its epic journey, and its lovable misfit crew led by the fearless Kathryn Janeway, you will be every bit as lost as they once were. Warning: spoilers!

There are several parallel plotlines, with strong and creative references to the original episodes. Firstly, with Janeway under evaluation to determine her fitness to command the Full Circle fleet, only two out of nine vessels remaining in the Delta Quadrant, and over eight hundred crewmembers lost, Captain Chakotay's search for a mission interesting enough to be worth the trouble, but not so dangerous as to risk another catastrophe, leads to a communication that Voyager received in the early years of the TV series (season 2, “Twisted”). Ms. Beyer extrapolates it as a distress call, sent by the titular “Protectors”: the distortion ring that twisted the ship in the original episode is one of a swarm of unknown technological creations trying to save a dying ecosystem, the so-called Ark Planet. Chakotay and Commander O’Donnell, the only fleet captains present, get into a classical Trek debate about how to respond to the distress call: are the protectors sentient, and if not, would terraforming the planet for them be a violation of their non-interference directive? It’s not often that the peaceable Chakotay finds someone he can’t get along with, but his anxiety about proving themselves to Starfleet Command does not mix well with O’Donnell’s unconventional command style. It speaks well for Ms. Beyer, however, that she can write about characters with conflicting opinions while keeping them both sympathetic. Also, O’Donnell’s and his first officer’s character development since Children of the Storm is satisfying to watch: Fife has learned to trust his eccentric captain, while O’Donnell has emerged from his lab and actually contributes to the running of his ship.

Secondly, at the same time, Seven of Nine is dreaming vividly of Axum, her first love from “Unimatrix Zero”. This is not as pleasant as you might imagine; not only is she over him and dating Counselor Cambridge (who, for once, is in need of counseling himself over this situation), but Axum is in danger and needs her. As freed members of a collective of cyberorganisms, their bodies contain technology (“catoms”) they themselves do not fully understand. The Starfleet doctors who discovered his badly injured body have more things on their minds besides his recovery; namely a disease they fear is spread by catoms like his. Voyager’s holographic Doctor, the only known catom expert, becomes fiercely protective of Seven and Axum, afraid of them being experimented on – but there is something “off” about his protectiveness, since at the same time, he is more clinical and indifferent to Seven than he has been for years. Has someone been interfering with his program, or is it there something wrong between the two old friends? Lewis Zimmerman, the Doctor’s programmer, plays a small, but important role in this subplot. His fatherly feelings for his creation, usually buried under layers of sarcasm, come out in a very touching, if questionable way. Here is the only minor criticism I had with this book, apart from the length of time until the arrival of its sequel; Zimmerman’s attempt to help his son is understandable, but after so many times on the TV show where the Doctor tried something similar, he really should have known better.

Thirdly, we come to what I believe is the heart of the Voyager saga: Kathryn Janeway. She has died horribly, come back to life with the help the omnipotent Q family, and it’s affected her in ways she’s only beginning to understand - all this on top of an entire lifetime of pushing herself to impossible achievements and tormenting herself when she fails. She wants to lead the fleet, but her superiors’ distrust and her own misgivings make her doubt herself at every turn. Ms. Beyer captures the essence of this character on every page: the intense love and loyalty that is her greatest strength, as well as her greatest weakness. She blames herself for any harm that comes to her friends, whether it really is her fault or not, and then turns the universe inside-out trying to save them. If anyone needed therapy, she does, and Counselor Austen, who has a flower garden in her office and the wry, incisive wisdom of her namesake, is the perfect person to provide it. This part of the story is much less action-oriented than the others’, but no less interesting; Janeway’s own emotional landscape is as wild, mysterious and lovely as any alien planet, and readers will be rooting for her to explore it with her customary courage.

All three of these major storylines, and the minor ones as well, involve some form of protection, as promised by the title. Janeway, Chakotay, the Doctor, the wave form creations, almost every character is trying to protect something or someone. However, not all forms of protection are healthy or helpful, either for the protector (Janeway, burning herself out for her crew) or for the one being protected (the Ark Planet, which the wave forms crowded with too many organisms at once). Sometimes it comes with the price of dishonesty: Tom Paris, who faked the deaths of his wife and daughter to protect them from a terrorist sect that believed the little girl to be an omen of the apocalypse, now has to face the rage of his own mother for not telling her the truth. Sometimes it is a thin disguise for selfishness, as with Mrs. Paris contesting her son’s fitness to raise her granddaughter, or Phoebe Janeway demanding that Kathryn leave Starfleet because she cannot stand the risk of losing her again. The best form of guardianship, in this novel, requires compromise: taking into account the needs and wishes of everyone involved, finding a balance between kindness, courage, common sense and personal well-being.

In this way, the Voyager novels are much more than just written echoes of a TV series, or a way for the franchise to make money; they are solid works of literature in their own right. Ms. Beyer’s heart is in her writing; if you read her dedications and acknowledgements, you will find that her own beloved family and friends inspire the bonds between her characters, and that Star Trek: Voyager is a shared source of joy and inspiration among them. More than ten years after the end of the show, they still inspire us fans to “set a cource for home” – wherever, and whoever, home may be. 

Review: Clockwork Angel

Cover Summary:

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

I must admit I found this better than The Mortal Instruments, but not by much. Clare's attempt at Victorian language was endearing, and the friction between the fictional culture of Shadowhunters (a race of demon-slaying part-angels) and nineteenth-century gender, class and race politics makes for some interesting moments. For example, the heroine Tessa is bewildered at seeing women fight, only to discover her own "warrior feelings" in defense of her loved ones; Charlotte, the wife of the Institute head, is the real leader of the group, but undervalued by her peers due to her gender; Sophie, a former maid abused and dismissed by her employers, is treated with respect by the Shadowhunters for her gift of Second Sight; and James (Jian) Carstairs, an English-Chinese Shadowhunter, struggles with his threefold identity and the prejudices that come with it (as well as a demonic curse that Clara explicitly parallels to opium addiction). On the other hand, there is Jessamine, a highly trained Shadowhunter girl with a weaponized parasol, who wants nothing but to give up her life of violence, marry a good man and live as a privileged lady. In this way, the Shadowhunters' Institute provides both a haven for those who do not belong, and a burden of violence and magic that is not easy to carry, and the different characters' responses to that lifestyle make for some very interesting reading.

However, this story does have some serious flaws, which is why I couldn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. Firstly, there is the writing style itself; if Clare only stopped using so many redundant phrases ("luminous eyes that shone"; "she felt like a child playing dress-up, a silly child") and waxing poetic about the two love interests' eye colors every time she mentioned them, she could get through her books in half the time. Also, she unintentionally makes her book-loving heroine appear rather dim, since Tessa is still unable to recognize one of the villain's "clockwork creatures" as something inhuman after seeing an identical one destroyed and taken apart. Her shapeshifting abilities, and the empathy that goes with them (she can access the thoughts of everyone she changes into) ought to make her an interesting character, but as she spends most of her time standing frozen at the sidelines of battles or agonizing over Will, that potential is sadly underused.

Lastly, the love triangle. Why, for goodness' sake, do both Clare's heroines have to be such gluttons for punishment when it comes to boys? Seriously, Jace and Will are practically interchangeable, and both are more in need of a therapist than a girlfriend. What is so sexy about a guy who mocks you when you're feeling vulnerable, plays games with your mind, and enjoys killing things - no matter how blue-eyed and muscular he is? He's troubled, fans will exclaim. He's really sweet on the inside, he just needs someone to bring it out! Well, I don't know about you, but I prefer my heroes sweet on the outside where I can see it. Jem and Simon deserve better.

To sum it all up, this is why I only gave the book two stars: because the setting and suspense only go so far. It's the characters that make or break a book for me, and in this case, they broke it. I shall not be continuing the series, and I recommend anyone searching for a good "gaslamp fantasy" to pass this one by and read Mercedes Lackey's Elemental series instead.

Playlist: Tribute To Afsarah Eden

Since Star Trek: Voyager – Protectors comes out in two days, I’ve started re-reading the previous volumes. I’ve seen people making playlists like this on Tumblr; I wish I could create beautiful graphics like they do, but all I have is the lyrics – and they are, after all, the most important part.

Again, spoiler alert for The Eternal Tide.

1. “Dance With My Father” by Luther Vandross

Back when I was a child, before life removed all the innocence,
my father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me and then
spin me around ‘til I fell asleep,
then up the stairs he would carry me
and I knew for sure I was loved …
If I could get another chance, another walk, another dance with him,
I’d play a song that would never, ever end -
how I’d love, love, love
to dance with my father again.

2. “Suddenly I See” by K. T. Tunstall

Her face is a map of the world, is a map of the world.
You can see she's a beautiful girl, she's a beautiful girl
and everything around her is a silver pool of light.
The people who surround her feel the benefit of it;
it makes you calm.
She holds you captivated in her palm.

Suddenly I see (suddenly I see):
This is what I wanna be.
Suddenly I see (suddenly I see)
why the hell it means so much to me.

3. “Rolling In The Deep” by Adele

There's a fire starting in my heart,
reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark.
Finally I can see you crystal clear -
go ahead and sell me out, and I'll lay your s**t bare.
See how I'll leave with every piece of you.
Don't underestimate the things that I will do.
There's a fire starting in my heart,
reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark.

4. “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye

[Kimbra:]
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over,
but had me believing it was always something that I'd done.
But I don't wanna live that way,
reading into every word you say.
You said that you could let it go
and I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know -

[Gotye:]
- but you didn't have to cut me off,
make out like it never happened and that we were nothing!
And I don't even need your love,
but you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough.
No, you didn't have to stoop so low,
have your friends collect your records and then change your number!
I guess that I don't need that, though -
now you're just somebody that I used to know.

5. “Your Guardian Angel” by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Seasons are changing and waves are crashing
and stars are falling all for us.
Days grow longer and nights grow shorter,
I can show you I'll be the one.

I will never let you fall (let you fall),
I'll stand up with you forever.
I'll be there for you through it all (through it all.),
even if saving you sends me to heaven.

6. “Shake It Out” by Florence + The Machine

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't,
so here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road.
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope;
it's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat.
'Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me -
Looking for heaven, found the devil in me.
Well, what the hell … I'm gonna let it happen … to me, yeah …

7. “A Flower Tells A Story” by Katherine Jenkins

A flower tells of lights dimmed early,
of a star burned out too young:
a story of a hero
too often left unsung.

(…)

I thank you for the gift to us,
the greatest there can be:
Your courage when you fought for liberty.

Review: Lost Lake

Cover Summary:

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Garden Spells comes a novel about heartbroken people finding hope at a magical place in Georgia called Lost Lake.

Suley, Georgia, is home to Lost Lake Cottages and not much else. Which is why it's the perfect place for newly-widowed Kate and her eccentric eight-year-old daughter Devin to heal. Kate spent one memorable childhood summer at Lost Lake, had her first almost-kiss at Lost Lake, and met a boy named Wes at Lost Lake. It was a place for dreaming. But Kate doesn't believe in dreams anymore, and her Aunt Eby, Lost Lake's owner, wants to sell the place and move on. Lost Lake's magic is gone. As Kate discovers that time has a way of standing still at Lost Lake can she bring the cottages—and her heart—back to life? Because sometimes the things you love have a funny way of turning up again. And sometimes you never even know they were lost . . . until they are found.

*

Lost Lake is slightly different in tone than any of Ms. Allen’s previous novels; I hesitate to say “darker”, as it still contains her signature magical realism and its attendant touch of hope, but still quieter and more subdued. The strongest theme of the story is grief: how to properly mourn for a loved one without losing oneself in the process.

The main character, Kate, has spent the past year before the start of the novel emotionally paralyzed, or as she calls it, “sleepwalking”, after her husband’s death, and the fear of falling back into that state follows her for most of the story. Most of the other main characters have some experience of grief as well: Kate’s aunt Eby, widowed after a lifelong happy marriage and facing the loss of her home; Eby’s friend Lisette, haunted (literally) by the ghost of a boy she rejected at sixteen; Jack, too shy to confess to the woman he loves; and Selma, a sarcastic femme fatale with seven ex-husbands, whose only friend is an elderly woman named Bulahdeen who is even more sarcastic than she is. They all have widely different responses to grief: some bottle it up inside, such as Kate's mother-in-law; some are dependent on it, such as Lisette and her ghost; some channel it into irony, such as Bulahdeen and Selma; and some use it to reach out to others in compassion, such as Kate, Eby and Devin. There is also Wes, Kate’s childhood friend and love interest, whose abusive father and innocent little brother died in a house fire when he was a child. The tentative relationship between Wes and Kate brings a lot of old wounds to the surface for both of them, even as it brings them hope and happiness for the future.

I must admit I missed the adorableness of the visible, sparkling silver baking smells in The Girl Who Chased The Moon, or the woman followed by friendly books in The Sugar Queen. I couldn’t find anything comparable in this book. However, I did find a remarkably kind and selfless ghost comforting the woman who drove him to suicide; Selma’s collection of man-stealing charms; an unusual alligator who communicates with Kate’s daughter Devin; not to mention Devin herself, who wears fairy wings and tutus and has more common sense than most of the adults. I also liked the plot twists that showed up near the end, most of them involving the characters’ pasts, which I didn’t see coming. As for the ending, it was heartwarming: realistic, but happy, in all the right ways. To paraphrase Bulahdeen, the best endings are those where you cannot predict everything.

My only criticism is Selma’s ending, specifically what she does with her last charm. I can’t see how the plot could have been resolved without it, and I understand that she did a brave and selfless thing for possibly the first time in her life … but at the same time, I cringed, because what she did is something no one should be made to do, no matter how good the cause. It surprised me all the more because Ms. Allen's works are normally very female-positive, with a strong emphasis on female friendships, family ties and the importance of being true to yourself. Selma's character, until that ending, was a fascinating exploration of the "man-eater" stereotype and its real-life consequences, and just as she seemed to be turning her life around ... oh, well. Even the best authors aren't perfect, I suppose.

Mostly, however, I very much enjoyed this book, and I recommend it for anyone searching for a story that is mature without being depressing. Curl up with it on one of these frosty January evenings with a cup of tea, talk about it with your girl friends, mothers and grandmothers, and try not to shed too many tears when you find out the true story of the alligator. 

Or, on second thought, do.

Antidotes For "Twilight": YA Romances Done Right

Originally published in Positively Smitten on December 12, 2013.

*

(Attention: This article contains spoilers for the works of fiction mentioned.)

Girl meets boy. Girl finds out boy is a hundred-year-old vampire thirsting for her blood and falls madly in love with him. Vampire abandons girl. Girl uses good-natured werewolf friend as emotional crutch, leading him on in his love for her without returning it. Girl jumps off a cliff to hallucinate vampire’s voice. Girl marries vampire straight out of high school without even considering a career. Girl gives birth to a human-vampire hybrid that tries to eat her from the inside, necessitating her painful transformation into one of the undead. Girl accepts werewolf, who declares the newborn baby his destined mate, as future son-in-law. They live happily ever after.

What more could you ask of a love story?

It turns out, a lot.

Before I continue, I must admit that, yes, there is such a thing as an intelligent Twilight fan. I’ve read many of their stories on Fanfiction.net, often clever, funny, well-written and insightful. Stephenie Meyer’s world can be quite compelling in its emotional intensity, its twists on the old myths (Sparkling vampires? You’ve got to admit that’s original!), and its seductive images of eternal love and youth. As a teenager, I could easily see myself in the heroine. However, the series’ charm is also one of its biggest problems. Is Bella Swan really the role model we want our daughters and sisters to live up to?

This holiday season, allow me to present a few alternatives …

1. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

This is a retelling of the fairy tale “Snow White”, a story about the pursuit of beauty and its cost. Aza is an overweight girl with unusual coloring in a society obsessed with certain ideals of beauty; the unkindness of her peers have made her hate herself so much that she cannot appreciate the uniqueness of her talents, especially her voice. Ijori is a kind young man who loves her for exactly who she is, regrets and makes up for his mistakes. They bond over what they have in common: a quirky sense of humor, a love of music, and a shared concern for the threat to their kingdom presented by the vain and selfish queen. Physical beauty, in this story, is only skin deep; it’s the beauty of the characters’ courage and talent that helps them save the day.

2. The Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie

Yes, it’s a love triangle. But unlike some, it’s a love triangle in which all three sides are truly making an effort to be honest and considerate of each other, even the two rivals. The series is set in a dystopian future in which government officials choose where you work, what you eat, when you die and whom you marry. When seventeen-year-old Cassia is assigned two matches by accident, a crack appears in her illusion of a perfect life that slowly grows to shatter it, inspiring her to think for herself, discover her potential, and fight for what she believes in. Choosing between the two boys is only part of the story; a dangerous journey through the canyons of Utah, an epidemic threatening the country, a shifting political climate, and the power of poetry all contribute to the three main characters’ evolution. Condie’s elegant, minimalist writing style is only the icing on the cake.

3. The Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier

Gwen Shepherd likes pretty clothes, speaks in pop-culture references and prefers watching movies to studying. She is also a time traveler with a responsibility to stop a power-hungry eighteenth-century alchemist from attaining immortality. Everyone expects her to fail: her enemy, her jealous cousin, sometimes even herself. She proves them spectacularly wrong. As for her teammate Gideon, who begins by looking down his nose at her lack of education, he ends up owing his life to her courage and falling in love with her wit and charm. He is a hero of the Mr. Darcy stripe, who is not ashamed to admit when he is wrong, and Gwen is a heroine who proves that being smart and being girly are not mutually exclusive. Bonus for Gwen’s sassy friend Leslie, who does not drop out of the story, but becomes one of her most important allies despite having no special powers whatsoever.

4. The Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz

To imagine this series, take Twilight and turn it on its head. Bloodsucking vampires? Yes – but only by consent and for mutual pleasure. Wealth, privilege, magic and immortality? Yes – but be careful what you wish for, as most vampires are a lazy, corrupt bunch who are fairly helpless before a genuine threat. Eternal soulmate bonds? Yes – but like any relationship, they can and do go sour unless enough effort goes into keeping them. The main characters include a man torn between his bondmate and the woman he truly loves; a girl fighting against demonic possession with her own strong will and the support of her lover; and a spoiled socialite learning to care for others besides herself. The character development from the first to the last book is remarkable, and the worldbuilding so believable that you’ll be looking twice at every New York celebrity to check for fangs.

These are my gift ideas for young women in love with love stories, which will make their hearts beat faster and teach them to value themselves. A truly beautiful romance is one that inspires both partners to love and respect each other – and we can never see enough of those, either in real life or in fiction.

Star Trek: Voyager Fan Cast

First of all, I really admire Kirsten Beyer's work on the series. This is why, though I know it's practically impossible for anyone to actually make a new Star Trek: Voyager series based on her work, I cannot help expressing my respect and admiration in the form of an imaginary cast. These characters have come to life for me, in a way hardly any original characters in a media-based novel ever have, and this is how I see them in my mind. It's silly, I know, and not to be taken seriously; thank goodness the Internet's a big place with room for all sorts of weird ideas.

Spoiler Alert

(Also, I feel so sorry for Captain Eden after The Eternal Tide that, fictional or no, I wish I could give her all the love and respect she should have had. It feels as if, plot and character wise, Eden was nothing but a stopgap for  Admiral Janeway, and was ignobly dispatched as soon as the latter came back to life. Nobody deserves that.)

End Spoiler

Lupita Nyong'o as Captain Eden
It was alarmingly difficult to find an actress with dark enough skin to fit the description. That doesn't say much about our progress as a society, does it? Anyway, since Ms. Nyong'o won critical acclaim for her role in the movie 12 Years a Slave, and since she has an ageless dignity and poise about her in the interviews that are perfectly Eden, I couldn't think of anyone better. She's a bit young, but the book does mention that she looks more thirty than fifty, and with her acting skills it wouldn't be a problem.

Tom Cruise as Admiral Batiste
Wouldn't that be an interesting subversion of his usual tough soldier roles? He does have depth - he proved that in Interview with a Vampire. He should use it more often.

Hugh Laurie as Counsellor CambridgeEven Ms. Beyer mentioned in an interview (see here) that Dr. House was part of her inspiration for this character, so who better to hypothetically play the part?

Dot-Marie Jones as Captain Farkas
Tough, sarcastic, no-nonsense, compassionate, and fiercely protective of those under her command - these words fit my unlikely namesake Regina Farkas just as well as they do Coach Beiste on Glee. It would be even cooler if Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester) could play Dr. Sal opposite her. After playing such great enemies, how fascinating would it be to see them as friends?

Rhys Ifans as Commander O'Donnell
He was excellent as the tormented scientist turning into a lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man, so I can easily see him as the botanist mourning for his wife in Children of the Storm. It would be a great role, full of angst and internal conflict, and a serious challenge to portray his hallucinations of Alana without looking ridiculous.

Well, that's all for now. I hope you enjoy it, and that it adds some fuel to your imagination if you happen to read these books.
Live long and prosper!

New Year's Anticipations

New Year's Resolutions can be frustrating, can't they? Exercise. Go on a diet. Be confident. They only make us feel worse if we find ourselves unable to keep them. If we do keep them, of course, congratulations are in order - but I prefer to think of what I'm looking forward to in the new year, and how I intend to enjoy it. (I do have some resolutions, of course, but they're rather private - it's enough to say that they're the reason I'm opening this blog in the first place.

1. University
I've already attended one (see my profile), but that was in my home city, while I lived - and still live - with my parents. Much as I love my home, this year I'm moving out. I intend to take my first steps toward independence,  no matter how slow, and the time away will make me love Montreal even more.

2. Vacation to Germany
My aunt is turning 50 this summer, and we're traveling to our ancestral grounds on the island of Rügen to celebrate. It's a lovely place, and my aunt is someone I've always looked up to, the more so as she's a fellow writer.

3. New Books
Naturally. Here are some examples of the new publications of 2014 that I can't wait to read:

• Lost Lake, by Sarah Addison Allen
• Star Trek: Voyager - Protectors, by Kirsten Beyer
• Infinite (Newsoul #3), by Jodi Meadows
• Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3), by Marissa Meyer

... and that's only in the next month!
Please stay tuned for any upcoming reviews.

Introduction

Hello to anyone reading this! I'm not certain what to write, not having much experience with blogs, so I'll jump right in: my name is Regina, and I love stories. All sorts of stories - books, movies, TV series, plays, musicals, songs. The reason I named this blog "Eat, Drink, Read, Listen" is because for me, the two latter are just as necessary to life as the two former, and because I hope to share the satisfaction of these pursuits with at least a few other readers.