BOOK REVIEW: SKYWARD BY BRANDON SANDERSON

Title: Skyward
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: November 6, 2018 by Delacorte Press

Spensa's world has been under attack for decades.

Now pilots are the heroes of what's left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa's dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with that of her father's—a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa the daughter of a coward, her chances of attending Flight School slim to none.

No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars.

I came across Skyward while browsing my local bookstore. The awesome cover art drew my eye first. After I read the synopsis, I knew I had to have this book. Skyward is a sci-fi novel set in the far future. The remains of humanity have been stuck on a planet called Detritus for decades. They’ve been at war with an alien species that they call the Krell. Their threat led the people of Detritus to live in deep underground caverns. To fight the Krell—and hopefully escape the planet—the people created the Defiant Defense Force. Pilots who fly for the DDF are like heroes, as everyone else holds them in high regard.

The protagonist of Skyward is seventeen-year-old Spensa Nightshade. Her greatest desire has long been to become a pilot for the DDF. Spensa’s chances of attending Flight School are slim, though. Her father was a pilot who got killed after deserting his team during a crucial battle. Over nine years have passed, and Spensa is still despised for being the daughter of a coward. Spensa is not one to give up, though. And an accidental discovery in a hidden cavern strengthens her resolve.

MY FAVORITE FRENCH-LANGUAGE SINGERS

Bonjour ! I’m back with a new language-related blog post. I’m aware I said in my last status update that I dropped the language category from my blog. This post is one that I’ve been sitting on, though. I wish I’d published it a lot sooner. Listening to music is one of my favorite pastimes. It also greatly helped me master the French language. This was among my biggest motivations. I really wanted to know what the singers were saying.

Now, I’m an American and I live in the U.S. This means I have no idea what kind of music the average French person listens to. I just searched for French-language musicians on Google, YouTube, and Apple Music. These last two also gave me recommendations from time to time. So the selection I’m about to list reflects my personal tastes. I prefer soloists to bands, and female singers to male singers. I also don’t like hard rock, metal, rap, or anything of the kind. Here are some of my favorite French musicians, in no particular order:

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BOOK REVIEW: GUILT BY DEGREES BY MARCIA CLARK

Title: Guilt by Degrees

Author: Marcia Clark

Genre: Mystery, legal thriller

Published on: May 8, 2012 by Mulholland Books

Harrowing, smart, and riotously entertaining, Guilt by Degrees is a thrilling ride through the world of LA courts with the unforgettable Rachel Knight.

Someone has been watching D.A. Rachel Knight -- someone who's Rachel's equal in brains, but with more malicious intentions. It began when a near-impossible case fell into Rachel's lap, the suspectless homicide of a homeless man. In the face of courthouse backbiting and a gauzy web of clues, Rachel is determined to deliver justice. She's got back-up: tough-as-nails Detective Bailey Keller.

As Rachel and Bailey stir things up, they're shocked to uncover a connection with the vicious murder of an LAPD cop a year earlier. Something tells Rachel someone knows the truth, someone who'd kill to keep it secret.

Special Trials prosecutor Rachel Knight is back in this second installment of her series. It takes place months after Guilt by Association ended. Rachel has continued handling various cases, as usual. She’s in court one day waiting for her turn. There, Rachel watches an arraignment for a murder case in which the victim was a homeless man. The evidence is so thin, and the prosecutor so unenthusiastic, that the case is almost dismissed. In a bold move, Rachel picks it up to prevent that. This surprises everyone, as the case is nowhere near Special Trials material.

Rachel soon calls upon her best friend, Detective Bailey Keller, to assist with the case. It’s the first time the two have worked together since their case from book one. Bailey isn’t thrilled that Rachel asked her to help with such a dud. It’s not that she doesn’t want to help a homeless man. Bailey simply can see how unlikely it is that the case will ever be solved. Since no one even knows the victim’s identity, it won’t be easy for Rachel to keep the case. Unless she can find proof that it is Special Trials-worthy, she will lose it. Luckily, there are just enough clues for Rachel to follow.

NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK, AND A NEW VISION

Good morning, everyone! This blog is officially back from the holidays. I hope you all had a great time, whether you spent it with friends or family. It's finally 2021, and I for one wish that this year is better than the previous. It looks like things will get as back to normal as they can get. Even an introvert homebody like me can get sick of rarely spending time away.

As it's a new year, I decided to change the look of Ivan's Insights. It definitely looks a lot better now. The header is now my favorite shade of blue, rather than the newspaper-like white I had before. Also, the posts now contrast from the background. They look almost like sheets of paper now, which looks nice and fitting for my blog. I admit I didn't think it was possible to make a blog this good-looking with Blogger. I'm familiar with Wordpress and its themes, most of which are better than Google's. Blogger has impressed me now, though. I'm pleased with the new look of Ivan's Insights.