Tiny Navajo Reads: The Book of Dragons

Okay, okay, I know that I’ve missed a couple of weeks, but I’m back and I’m here with a new review for you all! And you’ve got to say, dragons are definitely the way to go!

The Book of Dragons edited by Jonathan Strahan

The Book of Dragons edited by Jonathan Strahan

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I love dragons and I love books about dragons, so when this book caught my eye at Barnes and Noble, there was no way that I wasn’t going to buy this book and read it. Especially when I found out that it was full of many many short stories and poems all about dragons, and all sorts of dragons. There were definitely a few stories that I wished there was more written for their world. Not even necessarily attached to the short story in the book, but just more to dive into their world so I can see more how these particular types of dragons worked and moved and how their biology or magic or technology actually worked!

Since I am always a sucker for dragons, and especially when I’m able to visit a world with a new type of dragon, then this was the book for me. And even just writing this review makes me want to reread some of the stories again! I may need to get it back off my shelf and sift through and see what I can find again.

If you want to soar with dragons, or know what it’s like to be a dragon, then I highly recommend you try this book. You never know when the dragons will come for you.

What was a mythical creature that still holds you and your imagination captive? Why does it do that? What draws that creature to you?

Tiny Navajo Reads ARCs: Museum Piece

I received this ARC from NetGalley. This in no way affects my thoughts on the book or the following review.

I do apologize for not having a post up last week. I was doing an outreach event at a local high school and honestly didn’t think through what that would mean for my post update. But I’m back! And I’m here with a fascinating book that was published just recently.

Museum Piece: an unusual collection edited by B. Morris Allen

Museum Piece: an unusual collection edited by B. Morris Allen

Published May 20, 2023

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An interesting and unusual collection of short stories about museums. Each story is an exhibit of a different type of museum. Some are short. Some are long. Some have the weirdest exhibits you will ever read about and some feel almost mundane until the last moment. But they are all unusual exhibits, which is why they are in this anthology. One of my favourites is actually The Museum of Fog, written by Alexander Danner, about a “travel writer” who seeks out small weird attractions and writes/tweets about them. And with the Museum of Fog, it’s literally a place full of fog and the dangers of fog and the different types of fog. And there are even people LIVING in the exhibit, either living their best life as a 1990’s punk rock band, or studying the effects of freezing fog in the “simul-Antarctica.” And the Museum of Lost Dreams, the very first story in the collection is on that is fascinating to me as well, and touches a small part of my being that I’m hoping means I’ll be more likely to go after my dreams. No matter how small and silly they may seem to myself or others at that moment in time.

If museums and different types of things and places to explore and learn are you jam, then I would highly recommend you try out this book. And the lovely thing about anthologies is that you don’t have to read all of the stories at once. Nor do you need to enjoy all of the stories to enjoy the overall experience of the book either.

What have been some of your favourite museums, or museum-like experiences? What museum would you like to visit, real or fictional?

Oh, To Have the Time

One must make the time. And that is definitely something I’m going to try and strive to do and set up a good habit once again for reviewing books. I know that I put a lot of my effort into my job, which is why it’s hard for me to actually find time to review books on this blog, but I have found I can do it on Tumblr right now. So, if you want that link so you can follow on what I’m currently reading and making my way through, it’s right here. And I will try and make a more concerted effort to review books over here as well.

So, to give you all something to read between now and the text time I post, how about a list of 10 books I’ve read and a small review of them? As well as links to them on Tumblr, if I remembered to review them on Tumblr.

Words Onscreen: the Fate of Reading in a Digital World by Naomi S. Baron. Tumblr review here.

I read this book earlier this year, and quite enjoyed reading it. It gave a lot of insights in how reading on paper vs. reading on a screen can affect what we’re reading as well how much information we’re actually absorbing. It also goes about describing what may happen next when it comes to reading on paper vs. on screens.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

I absolutely loved this book! And my hardcopy of it should be coming in soon! But the best way I have seen this book described and it actually holds water is “it’s a combo of Stardust and The Princess Bride if Princess Buttercup actually went off to find Wesley. And it does not disappoint! Such a good read and a wonderful introduction to the world of Sanderson’s writing if you haven’t read anything of his yet.

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa, translated by Louise Heal Kawai. Tumblr review here.

A wonderful little collection of short stories of a cat who encourages a hikikomori (pulling inward, being confined, i.e a self-imposed hermit) to use his love of books to save them, after the death of his grandfather. This is probably one of my favourite books to read from last year, so I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves books and cats.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This book is what got me through waiting in the airport to go to my grandfather’s funeral last October. A love story between friends, and how they start developing video games, learn what it means to love and lose that love, and what it means to continue on and turn back to one another, even if it means revealing the ugly truth of themselves to each other. It was a heavy book, but a much needed one at the time for me.

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen. Tumblr review here.

This was such a fun audiobook! I listened to this back in February of this year, and I started it because we had several days where we did work from home because of the cold and I needed something to fill the empty space of the house while Hubby was at work, and not just YouTube. And it’s such a wonderful dance between fantasy and mystery with the smallest bit of demiromance thrown in! Most excellent!

Kingdom of Needle and Bone by Mira Grant. Tumblr review here.

This little short story of a pandemic breaking out throughout the world and how it came to be sent absolute shivers up my spine. In a good way. While horror isn’t always my favourite, there are some stand-out authors who I will read that delve into horror without giving me the heebie jeebies.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

If you want the classic “who done it” mystery, then look no further than this book and Agatha Christie in general. She is the Queen of Mystery and I need to delve into more of her books, because sometimes a slightly calmer mystery is just what the doctor ordered.

Remainders of the Day: A Bookshop Diary by Shaun Bythell. Tumblr review here.

This is the third book in the Bookshop Diary series and I love each and every one of them so far! They just seem like little cozy insights into what it would be like to own and work in a secondhand bookstore. The idea of owning my own is always in the back of my head, but it’s not really something I can act on right now. I love my current job far too much.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.

This is a short story about if the late Queen of England decided to get into ready as a rather larger hobby than anticipated and let that more influence her life as Queen. I quite liked the little anecdotes and the idea of her reading and writing leads to a different path all together. If you’re looking for a short read, then I recommend this one.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. Tumblr review here.

I saw this book floating around on Tumblr and knew it was one that I had to get! So, I did and I love how small and cozy this particular adventure is, and it really really wants me to make some customized minis and paint them based off of the main characters. And there’s gonna be a second one! Set in a bookshop! So excited!

There you go, 10 books that I have read and enjoyed since I last wrote a blog post. I hope this helps and I hope to see you all again soon! What books have you read recently? What did you enjoy about them?

Tiny Navajo Reads: Tales from the Cafe

I am back! Whoo!! Second week in a row, amazing! Let’s see how long I can keep this up! Now, onto the review! And yes, lots of exclamation points because I am actually following through on the trying to be consistent with my reviews.

This review is the second book in the Time Traveling Cafe series that was popping up on Tumblr and Twitter for a while in the beginning of the year. It’s a translated book from Japanese author Toshikazu Kawaguchi. The first one was really good, a small cafe where the patrons are able to travel back in time should they need to do so.

Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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*Originally published March 14, 2017*

We get another four stories from the time traveling cafe. If you remember from the first book, there is a small cafe where patrons are able to travel through time, through a certain type of coffee poured by a certain member of staff. And I will say, that since it’s been a while…like, 8 months since I read this book, I don’t truly remember what all the stories are about. Which probably means that I should reread this book, and the previous one, at some point.

What I do remember is how this book made me feel…very much a book where the feeling means more than the actual stories do. And what it made me helped me remember, is that we can choose how we feel. We can’t choose what others do to us, or how they feel, but we can choose how we will feel and respond to people. And that is a lot of what deciding to live in the moment is all about. It’s choosing to live in this present, and it’s choosing how you feel. Yes, there will be times that others will make you feel mad, but then you can choose to let that anger go. Or any other negative feeling.

I know that may not seem to be a super big deal, or a very obvious thing, but I let my emotions take control of me a lot…probably a lot more than I should and I feel large emotions. They scare me at times. So, having the reminder that we can choose how we feel does help me feel in some modicum of control again. So, yeah. That is what I really remember from this book. I do need to reread this series again, it’s super quick with essentially four short stories. And they’re cozy reads as well. What isn’t cozy about going to a cafe to read or write, or just listen to the people around you going about their day as well? What reminders do you get from the books you read? Do you get them in a timely manner? Comment below and let me know if this happens to you.

Happy Reading!

Tiny Navajo Reads: Humans Wanted

Humans Wanted edited by Vivian Caethe

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*Published August 7, 2017*

Alright, if y’all haven’t seen the tag #humansarespaceorcs or #spaceaustralia then you need to go out and read some of the stories floating around in those tags. They are wonderful and this book is just a small selection of them once people realized that a book focused on the good humanity can do because of how versatile we are. Simple fantastic!

Humans Wanted edited by Vivian Caethe

Humans are tough. Humans can last days without food. Humans heal so quickly, they pierce holes in themselves or inject ink under their epidermis for fun. Humans will walk for days on broken bones in order to make it to safety. Humans will literally cut off bits of themselves if trapped by a disaster.

You would be amazed what humans will do to survive. Or to ensure the survival of others they feel responsible for.

That’s the other thing. Humans pack-bond, and they spill their pack-bonding instincts everywhere. Sure it’s weird when they talk sympathetically to broken spaceships or try to pet every lifeform that scans as non-toxic. It’s even a little weird that just existing in the same place as them for long enough seems to make them care about you.

But if you’re hurt, if you’re trapped, if you need someone to fetch help? You really want a human.

Twelve authors provide their perspectives on human ingenuity and usefulness as we try to find our place among the stars. From battletested to brokenhearted, humans are capable of amazing things. Humans Wanted shows not only what we are, but how awesome we can be.

Humans Wanted is a great start to your collection of stories that show how awesome and scary we as humans can be just because of where and how we evolved. We are some of the best hunters because of our endurance. We can adapt quickly and almost always easily. We will pack-bond with ANYTHING, with or without a brain. We, as humans, are weird, weird creatures and that just may be our saving grace when it comes to being integrated into a galactic society someday.

What I enjoyed most about these stories was how the humans always proved themselves to be better than expected, to be not the stereotype, even if that stereotype is warranted. Humans are always thought to be the scourge of the earth, or whatever planet we are on, because we tend toward destruction as a whole. Yet these stories show that we as a whole can also be some of the most useful and wanted species because of our ability to be destructive with a purpose, as well as the ability to form close connections with just about everyone quickly.

If you are in need of some hope in this time of hopelessness, then maybe pick up Humans Wanted and just how wonderful you can be. What do you think is your best trait? What is your favourite thing about yourself? Comment below, if you’d like, but honestly think about it and find something to love about yourself and write it down today!

Tiny Navajo Reads: Nothing is Strange

*Thanks to the publisher for sharing a ebook with me. While I did receive this book for free, this does not change my rating or review of said book.*

Nothing is Strange by Mike Russell

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*Published February 6, 2015*

When they say that nothing is strange, they truly mean that nothing is strange. Including just how strange this book is.

20 mind-expanding short stories.
Inspiring, liberating, otherworldly, magical, surreal, bizarre, funny, disturbing, unique… all of these words have been used to describe the stories of Mike Russell so put on your top hat, open your third eye and enjoy: Nothing Is Strange

When I first starting reading this book, I will have to say that I forgot that the title itself explained that this would be a book full of interesting and strange short stories. It took me about 2-5 stories before I got the rhythm, but once I did I enjoyed reading these stories. There was one about a society that always looked down because those that ruled them, the living crowns, hated it when you looked at them, so you always had to look down. Another was about a couple that worked in these weird little buildings connected to their homes, one would work day shift and the other night shift, just pushing a button and waking with a headache. Each one unique in its own way, yet there was always something that showed that there was more to the story than meets the eye.

I think that is what I enjoyed most about these stories is that there was always something more than what was on the surface level of the story. And it seemed that the idea of the stories was that you need to look deeper or closer at some things than they originally warrant.

All of these stories are short and strange, the only thing that I think I would have enjoyed more is if there was a thread connecting these stories to each other. There wasn’t a common theme, other than the fact that these were strange stories. I liked reading them, and I think others would enjoy reading them as long as you knew that these were some strange stories.

What have been some short stories that you have enjoyed? What about them did you enjoy? Comment below and let me know!

Tiny Navajo Reads: American Hippo

American Hippo (River of Teeth #1-2) by Sarah Gailey

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*Published May 22, 2018*

For some fairly odd reason, this particular book was on the book river for All Things Country at my library. I didn’t understand it, but I love alternative views of history and this sounded like one that I could definitely get behind.

In 2017 Sarah Gailey made their debut with River of Teeth and Taste of Marrow, two action-packed novellas that introduced readers to an alternate America in which hippos rule the colossal swamp that was once the Mississippi River. Now readers have the chance to own both novellas in American Hippo, a single, beautiful volume.

Years ago, in an America that never was, the United States government introduced herds of hippos to the marshlands of Louisiana to be bred and slaughtered as an alternative meat source. This plan failed to take into account some key facts about hippos: they are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two.

By the 1890s, the vast bayou that was once America’s greatest waterway belongs to feral hippos, and Winslow Houndstooth has been contracted to take it back. To do so, he will gather a crew of the damnedest cons, outlaws, and assassins to ever ride a hippo. American Hippo is the story of their fortunes, their failures, and his revenge.

At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

I love reading possibilities of what could have been. I love alternative universes. And this is a alternative universe where hippos had been released into the Mississippi as an alternative meat source ¹. And what’s the best part of this alternative universe? There was a possibility of this actually happening, but it fell through.

Here, though, it didn’t fall through. In fact, it did work, too well! The hippos spread, far farther than anyone anticipated, and hippos are viscous! The vast Louisana bayous have been taken over by the hippos, and Winslow Houndstooth has been called upon to take back the bayous back from the hippos. To do so, Houndstooth calls up a team of experts to take on the hippos.

I flippin’ loved this set of short stories and the brief glimpse into the world of the 1890s where hippos roam the rivers. I’m always curious about the worlds we could have lived in, the split timelines of what could have happened. This is definitely a world that could have happened, there was actual legislation to release a herd of hippos into the Mississippi as an alternative meat source ². While I’m glad to be living in the timeline that I am, I will always be curious about the world where hippos were imported.

What sort of alternative timelines are you interested in? Are they huge changes, or small changes? Comment below and let me know!

Tiny Navajo Reads: Thursday Three Short Stories

Hi guys! It’s Thursday once again and today we’ll be talking abou three short stories I enjoy. The reason why I’m talking about this one today is because I’ll be starting my new job soon and it’s a full time job, so I may not have as much time to read as I think I will, but we’ll see.

In the case of there not being enough time, I need short stories to get my reading fix and I want to learn to enjoy short stories more. So, here’s three I’ve already read and whose authors I will look into for more short stories.

1. The Jewel and Her Lapidary by Fran Wilde. This was an interesting book and the reason why I wanted to read this was because the second story was on NetGalley and I wanted to read it. But, I needed to read the first one in order to understand what is going on. So, I did and I loved it! I just need to get a hold of the second one now.
2. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. This is such a good series and they are super quick reads, which is not a bad thing for this series. It’s a good thing actually as they give you all you need to understand this Afrofuturistic world where Binti is a Himba who leaves Earth, something unheard of.
3. Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman. I’m finding out that Neil Gaiman writes a LOT! And he has quite a few short story anthologies so if you love his stories, check out his short stories as well.

So, here are some short stories that I absolutely loved, so I have some authors to check out more as well. What are some of your favourite short stories? What do you look for in a short story? Comment below and let me know!

Tiny Navajo Reads: Home

Binti: Home (Binti #2) by Nnedi Okorafor

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*Published January 31, 2017*

The second novella in Binti, we join Binti and Okwu at Oomza University a year after Binti and Okwu were admitted and we see Binti struggling to come to terms with being far from her family and how this will impact her culture, her family, and her.

It’s been a year since Binti and Okwu enrolled at Oomza University. A year since Binti was declared a hero for uniting two warring planets. A year since she abandoned her family in the dawn of a new day.

And now she must return home to her people, with her friend Okwu by her side, to face her family and face her elders.

But Okwu will be the first of his race to set foot on Earth in over a hundred years, and the first ever to come in peace.

After generations of conflict can human and Meduse ever learn to truly live in harmony?

This book and the last book are a continuous storyline, a storyline where Binti learns that not only is she Himba, as she has been told all her life, but she is multiple cultures and people now. She has connections to what the Himba call the Desert People, to the Meduse, and to humankind in general. But Binti doesn’t want to be a multitude of people, she just wants to be Himba, that’s all she has known since she was small, she is Himba and Himba don’t leave. But leaving creates a divide, a divide Binti didn’t expect to be within her family when she comes back, a divide she thought would be easily breached when she did come home.

I enjoy this particular book because I can see real emotion within Binti. She’s someone who is not only scared of who she is becoming, but of who she is right now as well. The more she changes, the more she wants to stay the same which is what a lot of people are going through. I have felt some of her emotions when change has come upon me, change that I do not want but it is change that has turned out for the better, once I looked back and saw what that change did for me.

What changes have come up in your life that you did not expect? Did you seek out the change, but did change find you? Comment below and let me know!

Tiny Navajo Reads: Binti

Binti (Binti, #1) by Nnedi Okorafor

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*Published September 22, 2015*

My library’s website does a thing each month on its catalogue, where it features a certain theme for that month. Last month, it was Black History Month, and the book river was featuring Black authors and I saw Binti and it’s blurb caught my attention. I placed a hold on the first book and read it and placed a hold on the next two right away. So good!

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti’s stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself – but first she has to make it there, alive.

First things first, Binti is a small novel/novella. I was not quite expecting that when it arrived at my library, so I wasn’t sure what kind of story would be told in that short of a time. But as I was reading through, I was drawn into the story of a Himba girl leaving her home, her family, and her planet for the very first time. Now, I have very briefly studied the Himba and Himba culture in college, as my Anthropology 101 professor who I also TAed for, studies Himba culture and he used his studies in his teaching. So, I’m glad for that as I was able to better understand some of what was going on, but Nnedi Okorafor also explains Himba culture in such a way so it is not a deterrent to reading this book.

What I love most about this book though is that even though it seems to go quickly and deals with a lot of math (yes, there is math), the story doesn’t feel like it’s been pushed to the side. It all makes sense, and I love that we are in Binti’s head. We understand why she leaves but we also understand why she lets the Meduse change her in such a way to help them.

The only minor, extremely minor gripe I have about this book is that it is almost too short. But, I also believe that if it were longer, I would not like it as much as I do. The shortness of the story is why I gave it only three stars, but that’s the only reason. I just wanted more and I then got more with the next two books.

What do you guys think of short stories? Do you like them? Do you wish they were longer? Why or why not? Comment below and let me know!