Circe is the best book I’ve read read in 2018 so far. Madeline Miller creates a wonderful character, based on Greek mythology, of the first witch. Circe shows she’s independent (and daring!) when she performs a kindly act for Prometheus after the gods have tortured him. Although Circe’s father, Helios (god of the Sun), ignores her and her mother, Perses, ridicules her, Circe slowly discovers her powers. Miller captures the conniving of the gods of Olympus. The Titans scheme and play their wicked games. After admitting to a transgression, Circe is exiled to the island of Aeaea by Zeus. There Circe has the time to perfect her powers. Odysseus and his crew show up. After a rocky start–Circe turns the crew into pigs–Odysseus and Circe begin their legendary relationship.

Madeline Miller impressed me with her ability to control the narrative of a goddess whose powers are unique–and frightening. Circe has her flaws. She can be naive and too trusting. She possesses a raging temper (like her father). She’s impulsive. But this story of a girl growing up in a hostile environment who finds her place in history despite long odds and powerful opponents delighted me with its wit and wisdom. Highly recommended! GRADE: A

Diane decided it would be fun to watch Patrick and Katie run their half-marathon on Martha’s Vineyard so we booked a room at the boutique luxury spa, Hob Knob (https://www.hobknob.com) and made reservations on the ferry. We brought our Nissan Rogue to drive around the island. We had delicious meals at the Black Dog Inn and The Port Hunter. The weather was a little chilly for Diane, but I thought 60 degree temps were comfortable for me. We enjoyed our trip to Cape Cod a few years ago and found Martha’s Vineyard just as appealing. Great fun! Have you ever traveled to Martha’s Vineyard?

The Wall Street Journal headline to its review of SOLO: A Star Wars Story read: THE FORCE IS WEAK. I agree. When my favorite character in this Star Wars stand-alone is a feisty robot (L3-37 voiced by Phoebe Mary Waller-Bridge) you know the movie is in trouble. Woody Harleson plays a conniving scoundrel named Beckett who tutors young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) in the finer points of larceny. Solo meets Chewbacka (Joonas Viljami Suotamo) under dire circumstances, but the two bond almost immediately. Then there’s the treacherous Qi’ra (Emily Clarke), Solo’s one-time lover. Donald Glover convincingly plays young Lando Calrrisian. But, despite the cast, the battle-chase-battle-chase formula wears thin. Set the bar low for this Star Wars episode and you won’t be disappointed. GRADE: B-

Gardner Dozois (July 23, 1947-May 27, 2018) was one of the great editors of Science Fiction. Gardner’s yearly tome of The Year’s Best Science Fiction became the Gold Standard of quality. I particularly liked Gardner Dozois’s “Summation” essay in each volume which summed up that year in detail. On July 3, 2018, The Year’s Best Science Fiction: 35th Annual Collection will be published. I’m saddened to think that this will be the last volume in this legendary series. I wanted to honor Gardner Dozois so I chose The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Fourth Collection because it was a critical volume in the series.

The first three volumes in the series were published by Bluejay Books run by James Frenkel. But, in 1985, Bluejay Books closed its doors and Gardner Dozois found a new home for his yearly anthology with St. Martin’s Press starting with the Fourth Annual Collection. In reading Dozois’s “Summation: 1986” there’s an air of uneasiness. Dozois was probably concerned about the future of his series. And, uncharacteristically, there’s this comment by Dozois: “A new version of Star Trek—Star Trek: The Next Generation–is going to be on the tube next season, but somehow I can’t muster up a great deal of enthusiasm for this news: perhaps I’ve grown jaded.” (p. xix) Dozois might have been in a grumpy mood having to switch publishers. But such fears were groundless. Gardner Dozois edited 31 more Year’s Best SF collections and became a giant in the Science Fiction genre. The world is a lesser place now that Gardner Dozois is gone. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Summation: 1986 / Gardner Dozois ix
R & R / Lucius Shepard — 1
Hatrack River / Orson Scott Card — 67
Strangers on paradise / Damon Knight — 91
Pretty boy crossover / Pat Cadigan — 105
Against Babylon / Robert Silverberg — 115
Fiddling for waterbuffaloes / Somtow Sucharitkul — 133
Into gold / Tanith Lee — 155
Sea change / Scott Baker — 181
Covenant of souls / Michael Swanwick — 198
The pure product / John Kessel — 229
Grave angels / Richard Kearns — 247
Tangents / Greg Bear — 274
The beautiful and the sublime / Bruce Sterling — 289
Tattoos / Jack Dann — 314
Night moves / Tim Powers — 333
The prisoner of Chillon / James Patrick Kelly — 352
Chance / Connie Willis — 384
And so to bed / Harry Turtledove — 411
Fair game / Howard Waldrop — 425
Video star / Walter Jon Williams — 439
Sallie C. / Neal Barrett, Jr. — 469
Jeff Beck / Lewis Shiner — 490
Surviving / Judith Moffett — 499
Down and out in the year 2000 / Kim Stanley Robinson — 529
Snake-eyes / Tom Maddox — 544
The gate of ghosts / Karen Joy Fowler — 562
The winter market / William Gibson — 581
Honorable mentions: 1986 599

This 1996 compilation CD features several women singers who were at the top of their game in the Nineties. Gloria Estefan had just recovered from a near-death experience and sings about it in “Coming Out of the Dark.” My favorite song on this celebration of women in music is Sade’s “Smooth Operator.” Do you remember these songs? Do you remember these women singers? GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
1. If You Asked Me To – Celine Dion
2. Feel So High – Des’ree
3. Sally’s Pigeons – Cyndi Lauper
4. Colouring Blue – Nicky Holland
5. Holding On – Beverley Craven
6. Smooth Operator – Sade
7. Time And Tide – Basia
8. Closer To Fine – Indigo Girls
9. Coming Out Of The Dark – Gloria Estefan
10. Power Of Love – Jennifer Rush

Half-way through the first essay in Sunshine State, “BFF,” I started to think “Is Sarah Gerard making this up?” Did all that sex, drugs, alcohol, heavy smoking actually happen? More bizarre behavior shows up in “Mother-Father God” where Gerard explains the religious upbringing she endured. My favorite essay in this collection is “Going Diamond” where Sarah’s mother and father get caught up in selling Amway products in cult-like fashion. “The Mayor of Williams Park” is a tragic story of a homeless man. “Sunshine State” is about birds. “Rabbit” is another tragic story, this time about Gerard’s grandmother’s declining health. I wasn’t moved by these essays. I felt like Sarah Gerard was putting on performances instead of exploring topics. And I found the Sunshine State to be a dark and dreary place. GRADE: C
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
BFF 1
Mother-Father God 17
Going Diamond 73
Records 123
The Mayor of Williams Park 173
Sunshine State 225
Rabbit 281
Before: An Inventory 297
Acknowledgments 307
Bibliography 309
Endnotes 327

Ruth Bader Ginzburg fought for women’s rights before the Supreme Court (she won five of six cases) before Bill Clinton surprised everyone by picking RBG for an empty Supreme Court seat in 1993. Julie Cohen and Betsy West try to capture RBG’s eventful life in 96 minutes. I did not know RBG fought cancer twice. RBG’s husband gave up his lucrative law practice in New York City to support RBG when she was named to the Washington, D.C. District Court of Appeals by Jimmy Carter. This film celebrates their marriage. But the best part of RBG is hearing the audio of Ruth Bader Ginzburg arguing her cases before the Supreme Court. I got chills hearing Ginzburg spar with nine men who had no clue about discrimination of women. RBG is one of the best films of 2018! Don’t miss it! GRADE: A

Substitute Creature is the fourth and final volume in Charles Gilman’s Tales From Lovecraft Middle School series. As in the previous three adventures, Dark Forces threaten the students and teachers at Lovecraft Middle School. This time, it’s a creepy substitute teacher with eldritch powers. I’m sorry to see this Young Adult series end. And, I’ll really miss the cool hologram covers! GRADE: B

Gaudy patter and plenty of mayhem. That’s the formula in Deadpool 2. Ryan Reynolds’s unkillable character assembles a team of goofy superheroes (X-FORCE!) to take on Cable (Josh Brolin), a soldier from the Future. A teenage mutant named Russell (Julian Dennison) is about to kill his school’s Principal which will turn him into a mass murderer who kills Cable’s wife and daughter in the Future. Cable has time travelled to our era to eliminate Russell. Deadpool decides he can “save” Russell before he kills. Along the way, there are explosions, decapitations, and lots of blood. My favorite character is Domino (Zazie Beetz) whose superpower, Luck, comes in handy. If you’re in the mood for a silly–but gory–Summer Movie, Deadpool 2 will punch your ticket. GRADE: B+