Artemis by Andy Weir

ARTEMIS by Andy Weir is here and it’s great! That “snarky,” sarcastic, adventure-seeking attitude that we all enjoyed in The Martian is back in Weir’s newest novel.  Here, the main character is angrier and more rebellious, named Jasmine “Jazz” Bashara and is originally from Saudi Arabia, although she has spent almost her entire life living on the moon in the city of Artemis. [Weir refers to tourist-centered Artemis as a “frontier town” and there is a diagram of the interconnected double-hulled domes named for the first five men to walk on the moon (Armstrong, Aldrin, Conrad, Bean and Shepard) shown below.] Now in her early twenties and working as a porter, Jazz subsidizes her income by smuggling contraband.  It’s her ability to improvise that attracts the attention of a local businessman and government officials – with some dubious motives in mind.  

 

In further trademark style, Weir describes the lunar environment, the need for protective gear and everyday life on the moon all while leading us through an exciting caper to corner the market on an innovative technology. There is family conflict, a bit of romance, doses of humor, and plenty of scientific knowledge to share.  And don’t forget the roller coaster ride from one almost catastrophe to another. I loved The Martian because so many aspects felt new and different. ARTEMIS, too, entertains and educates; but includes a feisty heroine which makes it distinctive and adds yet another layer. For more background, see this interview with Scientific American where Weir reflects on Jazz’s evolution and his writing process. ARTEMIS deserves a place high on your “to be read” list and received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.

Ghost of Christmas Past by Rhys Bowen

Regular review readers know that I enjoy mysteries and that Rhys Bowen is a favorite author so I was grateful to receive a copy of her newest - GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST - through NetGalley. Once again, Molly Murphy Sullivan is faced with solving a mystery – this time at a fancy house party in the New York City area. Molly and her husband, Daniel, soon discover that the only child of their hosts, a young girl, went missing ten years earlier – with no body or ransom note ever discovered. Molly is persistent, though, and begins to solve the puzzle.  Or does she? There are plenty of surprises and suspects. The early 1900s, a mansion along the Hudson, servants and the Christmas season combine nicely to form the backdrop for one of the stronger entries in this 17 book (so far) series.

Award winning author Bowen has crafted many memorable characters, including Evan Evans, and Lady Georgiana Rannoch (Royal Spyness series), plus I also recommend her stand-alone novel from last Spring, In Farleigh Field, for fans of mystery and historical fiction.

Looking for another Christmas cozy? I loved the beautiful cover (shown above) of CHRISTMAS IN LONDON by Anita Hughes. This novel has a contemporary setting and plenty of romance, although perhaps too much for some? Two young women, one a chef and the other a TV producer, head to London for a holiday show and while there encounter some rather immature men. Despite drama and conflict, the story itself could be more engaging, but the food, shopping, and evoking of London at the holidays is great  – escapism and pure fun!

Love and other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford

LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES by New York Times bestselling author Jamie Ford (also wrote Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet) is set primarily in Seattle and based on a true story. It begins near the turn of the century in China where a poor, half-Caucasian boy is sent by his Chinese mother to America and ends in 1962 where the now aged man reflects on his life.  In between, there is the 1909 World’s Fair (or Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition) where by then 12-year-old orphan Ernest Young is raffled off and goes home with Madam Flora to her brothel.  As the new houseboy, he forms a family of sorts with Maisie, the madam’s daughter, and with Fahn, the Japanese kitchen maid. Ford then moves back and forth in time to relate a complicated love story that spans more than 50 years – all the way to the Century 21 Exposition, another World’s Fair that was held in Seattle from August to October, 1962.

LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES explores the exploitation of Asian immigrants, especially children, prostitution, temperance, women’s rights and political corruption. In his author’s notes, Ford asks, “Why did frontier cities in the West have the most successful suffrage campaigns while also being hot beds for vice?” That question, or the simpler contrasts between the social mores of the two time periods, will certainly intrigue readers looking for a potential Junior Theme idea.  

For another tragic story about orphans, see BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Wingate.