Monthly Archives: February 2018

Cotton and Indigo from Japan

Book Review of Cotton & Indigo from Japan, by Teresa Duryea Wong

I received a copy of Cotton & Indigo from Japan, by Teresa Duryea Wong for review.

Description from Goodreads:
More than 300 colorful photos and behind-the-scenes details reveal the fascinating story of Japan’s cotton and indigo, and their enormous contribution to fiber arts worldwide. Learn how Japan and its top fabric designers, quilters, scientists, and artists combinetradition and high tech to weave the thread, fabrics, and stunningdesigns that are so coveted in today’s fiber art world. Take a tour of Japan’s elite textile printing mills to understand why Japan is considered the world’s finest producer of quilting cotton. Learn where all this cotton comes from, and its close connection to another prized plant, indigo. Dozens of beautiful fabric designs and quilts by Shizuko Kuroha, Keiko Goke, Yoshiko Jinzenji, Yoko Saito, and others are featured, as well as cotton and indigo folk textiles through the ages. This journey gives a deeper understanding of the connection between contemporary textile art and Japan’s cotton, indigo, and traditions.

Review:
I initially wrote a review that said, “Very cool book with gorgeous pictures and a lot of interesting history. This is worth picking up if the subject interests you. I appreciate it as both an informative book and simply as a pretty coffee table book.” But last night I got the chance to go through the book with my aunt, who is a big quilter and worked many years in a fabric shop, largely for the love of it. Hearing her ooh-and ahh, lovingly touch some of the photos, and tell me, “This is a great book, really thorough about the terminology and regionality.” confirmed what I already knew. This is a book worth having. It has two Forsythe seals of approval.

Wanted and Wired

Book Review of Wanted and Wired (Wanted and Wired #1), by Vivien Jackson

I picked up a copy of Vivien Jackson‘s Wanted and Wired from Amazon, when it was free.

Description from Goodreads:

Rogue scientist • technologically enhanced • deliciously attractive
Heron Farad should be dead. But technology has made him the man he is today. Now he heads a crew of uniquely skilled outsiders who fight to salvage what’s left of humanity: art, artifacts, books, ideas-sometimes even people. People like Mari Vallejo.

Gun for hire • Texan rebel • always hits her mark
Mari has been lusting after her mysterious handler for months. But when a by-the-book hit goes horribly sideways, she and Heron land on the universal most wanted list. Someone set them up. Desperate and on the run, they must trust each other to survive, while hiding devastating secrets. As their explosive chemistry heats up, it’s the perfect storm…

Review:
I quite enjoyed this. There were several points I especially liked and a few that irked me, but the average definitely fell on the positive side.

The things I enjoyed were the snark, the high quality of writing, the world, the woman with sexual agency, the fact that there were incidentally gay characters and that the main characters were other than white.

On the negative side was the rape-as-backstory, the fact that the sexual agency I appreciated eventually became distracting as Heron and Mari just never let up.

All in all, I can’t wait for more of Jackson’s Tether series.

Cursed with Claws

Book Review of Cursed with Claws, by Asta Idonea

I received a copy of Asta Idonea‘s Cursed With Claws through Netgalley.

Description from Goodreads:
A dragon dwells atop the mountain that overlooks Ode’s village. Every year the surrounding villages gather to make an offering to keep the beast at bay: chests of gold and a human sacrifice.

When the wise men choose his beloved sister, Malle, as the latest sacrifice, Ode immediately offers to take her place. But instead of a dragon on the mountain ledge, he meets a mysterious young man.

Review:
I’ve learned. It took a little while, but it’s finally sunk in. Less Than Three Press publishes a certain sort of novella that I dislike. I always get caught by the blurb, but now I know not to be fooled. I read Alexandria Bellefleur’s Frostbite last year, which is also by LTTP and essentially the same plot as Cursed with Claws. I felt about it the same as I did this one. Meh. That’s it.

Cursed beast in a mountain cave? Check. Ingenue young man encounters him? Check. Almost instant attraction, despite one party being deadly/monsterous (both dragons)? Check. Love developing in too short a time? Check. Happily ever after? Check. Everything is very shallow, very linear and very Mary Sue/Marty Stew. It’s not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with it. There’s obviously a market, so those that enjoy it. I’m just not one of them. I was not impressed by Idonea’s Cursed with Claws, but it was the book that finally taught me what to be on the lookout for, so I can avoid reading it or its ilk again.